Four Standouts From Tampa Bay’s Back-To-Back Victories Over Phillies and Twins

The Tampa Bay Rays picked up two victories on Tuesday afternoon by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 3-1 and the Minnesota Twins 5-3.

With the wins, the Rays improve to 5-7 in Spring Training, and they are holding up well without several stars who are competing in the World Baseball Classic in the upcoming weeks.

Next up, Tampa Bay will take on the Netherlands in an exhibition game on Wednesday, March 4, at 1:05 p.m., at Charlotte Sports Park.

4 Standouts From Tuesday

Shane McClanahan

The talk of the day was that starting pitcher Shane McClanahan was set to make his first start since suffering another setback in last season’s spring training.
McClanahan did not disappoint as he went on to toss two scoreless innings, allowing two hits and he recorded a strikeout.

With his strong start, the young left-hander earned the win, and this start was a huge step in the right direction for him and the entire Rays organization.

”I forgot that’s how you are supposed to feel on the mound,” McClanahan told Ray’s sideline reporter Ryan Bass. “I forgot what feeling good feels like and I definitely took that for granted my first few years in the league and I needed that.”

Cedric Mullins

The Rays knew exactly who they were getting this offseason when they signed outfielder Cedric Mullins to a one-year, $7.5 million deal, because he played in the AL East with the Orioles since 2018.

Tampa Bay instantly added one of the best defensive centerfielders in the MLB with the signing, but his offensive ability is also eye-opening. With his plus speed and power, he brings the Rays a unique talent with the ability to steal bases and hit home runs.

This spring, he is also hitting .300, and he made a big impact in the win over the Phillies. Mullins got on base twice with a single and a walk, and he scored a run to help lead the Rays to a 3-1 victory.

Chandler Simpson

Since making his Spring debut less than a week ago, Chandler Simpson has been right back to getting on base and being the electric player, he is. In the 5-3 victory over the Twins, he showed out by recording two hits, and he also produced a run and an RBI.

He also reached safely on a bunt to first base that was ruled an error, and that seems to be a new weapon that he will use to continue to make life difficult for opposing defenses this season.

T.J. Nichols

The final standout was Tampa Bay’s right-handed pitcher T.J. Nichols, who has been great so far this Spring with a 2.45 ERA.

He ranks as the No. 7 prospect in the organization, and he has a chance to have a big impact with the Rays this season. He had another solid outing on Tuesday, throwing two scoreless innings, allowing one walk while striking out three.