The Tampa Bay Rays enter play Thursday with a 16-20 record through their first 36 games. While there are two teams below them in the American League East standings, it is still not what the Rays were hoping for at this point of the season.
And it comes in the midst of an already-lost series to the Philadelphia Phillies, which does not get any easier as the visitors have a National League Cy Young contender slated to start in Jesus Luzardo.
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Luzardo has found new life with his new club after the Phillies acquired the lefty from the Miami Marlins over the offseason. In seven starts so far, Luzardo has pitched to a 1.94 ERA across 41.2 innings with 47 strikeouts, a 215 ERA+ and a Major League-leading 2.0 bWAR.
The one saving grace for the Rays on Thursday is the fact that Luzardo has struggled against them in the past. The lefty has made four career starts against Tampa Bay, one in each of the last four years, and has pitched to a 6.20 ERA across 20.1 innings with 19 strikeouts.
His most recent start against the Rays came while still a member of the Marlins in 2024. Luzardo did not make it out of the fifth in that outing, pitching only 4.1 innings and allowing nine runs, all earned, while striking out only two. Needless to say, he took the loss in that one and holds a 0-3 record against Tampa.
It will be a tough matchup for the Rays, who will try to avoid the sweep. Tampa Bay has been swept twice so far this season, once on the road by the Texas Rangers from April 4-6, and at home by the Kansas City Royals from April 29-May 1.
The first pitch for Thursday’s contest is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. EST. It will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network Sun, NBC Sports Philadelphia and MLB Network (out-of-market only). The radio broadcast is on WDAE 620 AM/95.3 FM, or WQBN/1300 AM.