GameDay Preview: 'Humbled' MVP Shane McClanahan to Pitch Home Finale on Sunday

Tampa Bay starter Shane McClanahan pitched on Opening Day for the Rays, and he's throwing the final regular season home game too on Sunday at Tropicana Field. He was also named the team's MVP on Saturday. Here's his interview, along with starting lineups, pitching bios and lots of newsy nuggets.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — He was there when in started in April, and Shane McClanahan will be back on the mound at the end when Tampa Bay finishes the home portion of the regular season schedule on Sunday in a critical game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

McClanahan, who is 12-6 with a 2.36 ERA this season and started the All-Star Game for the American League. this summer, was named the Rays' Most Valuable Player on Saturday night. So he'd like to close out the home season in style after getting roughed up a bit by Houston last Tuesday, leaving the game early with a neck issue.

He said it was nothing even right after the game, and he's bounced back nicely all week. He's ready to go on Sunday.

"That left a bad taste in my mouth that last outing, so I'm excited to get back out there,'' McClanahan said. "That's a good team, and we've seen them a lot. My strategy will be the same, to attack and be relentless in the zone. Hopefully I'd do a better job of that compared to the last outing.

"I got away from that last outing, being competitive in the zone without nit-picking, which is why I was excited about putting in the work this week. I'm excited about getting back out there. I feel good, and we're in a good position as a team.'' 

McClanahan understands the importance of these last few games as the Rays try to lock up a playoff spot. They are 4.5 games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles with 10 games to go, and trail Toronto by one game in the wild-card. Seattle is a half-game behind them.

"Late-September baseball, it's grindy but you see the light at the end of the tunnel. You kind of get that second wind, which is nice,'' McClanahan said.

He said he was humbled and honored to be selected MVP. 

"I'm honored. I feel like there are so many guys in here who have contributed. I'm usually that guy who says some other guys deserve it. I appreciate how much all these guys have done this year.

Here's how to watch Sunday's game, with TV information, starting lineups, pitching bios and a lot of newsy nuggets:

How to watch Blue Jays at Rays

• Who: Toronto Blue Jays (85-67) at Tampa Bay Rays (84-68)
• When: 1:10 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 25
• Where: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• TV: Bally Sports Sun
• Announcers: Dewayne Staats (play-by-play), Brian Anderson (color commentary) and Ryan Bass (reporter).
• Stream: Fubo.tv CLICK HERE
• Radio: WDAE 95.3 FM; SiriusXM Channel 89
• Announcers: Andy Freed, Dave Wills and Neil Solondz
• Latest Line: Tampa Bay is favored at minus-142 on the money line according to the Fanduel.com website line as of Sunday morning. The Blue Jays are at plus-120. The over/under is 7.5.

Projected starting lineups

• Toronto Blue Jays: George Springer CF, Bo Bichette SS, Vladimir Geuerrero Jr. 1B, Alejandro Kirk DH, Matt Chapman 3B, Teoscar Hernandez RF, Danny Jansen C, Whit Merrifield 2B, Raimel Tapia LF, Ross Stripling P.
• Tampa Bay Rays: Manuel Margot RF, Randy Arozarena LF, Wander Franco SS, Harold Ramirez 1B, Isaac Paredes 3B, David Peralta DH, Christian Bethancourt C, Jose Siri CF, Taylor Walls 2B, Shane McClanahan P.

Projected pitchers

• ROSS STRIPLING, Toronto Blue Jays: Ross Stripling, a 32-year-old right-hander from Blue Bell, Pa., is 8-4 this season with a 3.21 earned run average. This is his third start against the Rays this season, and fifth of his career. He's also faced the Rays out of the bullpen five times. His best start against the Rays was his last one, a brilliant 6 1/3-inning outing on Sept. 14 in Toronto where he allowed just one run and three hits in a 5-1 Toronto victory.
• SHANE McCLANAHAN, Tampa Bay Rays: Shane McClanahan says he feels great and is full-go for his start on Sunday, despite leaving his last start in the fifth inning against Houston with some neck discomfort. He is 12-6 on the season with a 2.36 earned run average. His ERA is fourth-best in the American League, and his swing-and-miss rate (35.0 percent) is tops in the league. 

Newsy nuggets

• DAVE WILLS: Rays radio announcer Dave Wills is back at Tropicana Field on Sunday, and will do two innings of the radio broadcast during the final game of the regular season. He's missed a few weeks with a minor heart issue that cropped up during the road trip to Toronto, and he said he's feeling much better.
• TOUGH MATCHUP: Outfielder Randy Arozarena and shortstop Wander Franco are two of the Rays' hottest hitters right now, but neither one of them have had much success against Toronto starter Ross Stripling. Arozarena, who joined the 20-30 club on Friday night, is just 1-for-13 — an .083 average — all-time against Stripling. Franco, who has an 11-game hitting streak going, is just 1-for-9 against him, good for a .111 batting average.
• AL EAST SUPREMACY: The Rays are 10-8 against the Blue Jays this season and have already clinched the season series and the important playoff tie-breaker that goes with it. They also have clinched the season series against the Baltimore Orioles (10-9), which still might come into play in the wild-card race. The Rays are 12-4 against Boston with three games remaining at Fenway Park on Oct 3-5 to close out the regular season. The only AL East team to finish with a series win against the Rays were the New York Yankees. They went 11-8. As of Sunday, the Rays are 40-32 against the division with four games to go.
• BEATING THE JAYS: This the fifth straight year that the Rays have won the season series against Toronto, and the seventh time in eight years. Since the Rays rebirth in 2008, they are 13-2 overall in the annual series in the past 15 years.