PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Rays right hander Tyler Glasnow’s second start of the spring had a few more hitches than he intended.
Glasnow allowed three earned runs on two hits and a pair of walks in an 11-3 loss to the visiting Phillies on Saturday afternoon. Of Glasnow’s 40 pitches only 18 were for strikes.
Glasnow has been testing out a new delivery this spring in which he double pumps his lead leg after a brief hesitation before he flings his 6-foot-8 frame toward the plate. Not only has the modified delivery added a new wrinkle to throw off a hitter’s timing, it has also resulted in an uptick in velocity for the already hard thrower. Glasnow retired the side in order in the first inning, including throwing a 99 mph fastball past Phillies leadoff man Scott Kingery for strike three.
“For me, the main focus is how I feel going through my motion, and it’s still feeling really good,” Glasnow said.
Veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen singled to right to start the second, forcing Glasnow out of the windup and into a more traditional delivery from the stretch. After Andrew Knapp grounded into a fielder’s choice, Aaron Altherr blooped a single to right and former Ray Sean Rodriguez drew a walk to load the bases with one out. With bases full, Glasnow returned to his hitch but was unable to find the strike zone, walking Trevor Plouffe on five pitches to force in a run and end Glasnow’s day.
“That’s what spring is for, to come out and get used to all that stuff,” Glasnow said.
Glasnow attributed the rough second inning to fatigue and not finding a comfort zone switching between the distinctively different deliveries.
“There’s differences, but there’s also similarities,” Glasnow said. “If I’m in the right position, especially with balance, everything works. The quick step has been feeling really good, but the pause let’s me feel the ‘stay-back’ so it translates well to the quick step.”
It was the second straight appearance that Glasnow, who is trying to establish himself in the third slot of the rotation this spring, was unable to make it through a second frame, having allowed two runs on three hits in his spring debut last week.
“I know today wasn’t really the greatest get-ahead, strike-throwing day,” Glasnow said. “But it was a little better than the first, and I think as I build up everything will come into place.”
Brandon’s big day
In the other half of the Rays' split-squad action on Saturday, Brandon Lowe accounted for all of the offense in the Rays’ 6-5 win over the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla.
“I felt good,” Lowe said. “I just have to bottle how I felt today and save it for the season. Make sure that I have the feels that I had today every day for the rest of the spring and hopefully for the next 100-something games after.”
Lowe went 4-for-5 with his first home run of the spring -- a three-run shot off Yennsy Diaz in the top of the seventh -- and a pair of doubles to finish the day with six RBIs. Lowe, who is trying to break through the logjam of second base/utility players vying for a role this spring, now has eight hits in 16 spring at-bats for Tampa Bay.
Hamstring sidelines Duffy
Rays third baseman Matt Duffy was a late scratch from Saturday’s game against Philadelphia due to soreness in his left hamstring. It was the same injury that limited Duffy earlier in camp.
“It was the same kind of recurrence with the tightness,” said Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro, who served as the interim manager in Port Charlotte with Kevin Cash traveling with the split-squad to Dunedin. “It’s precautionary. We’ll give him another day or so until he feels 100 percent to get back out there.”
Duffy hasn’t seen game action since playing against the Twins on Thursday, his only appearance of the spring.
“It was his first game since October the other day, and we didn’t want to push it right now,” Quatraro said.
Yarbrough day to day
The Rays also don’t seem worried about lefty Ryan Yarbrough, who experienced some tightness in his groin during his outing on Thursday. Yarbrough was pulled after facing just one batter.
“He felt a slight twinge,” Quatraro said. “Now they’re just taking it day by day.”
Up next
The Rays will head to LECOM Park in Bradenton to face the Pirates at 1:05 p.m. ET on Sunday. Righty Ryne Stanek will be the opener against Pittsburgh with Jalen Beeks, Colin Poche, Jake Faria and Casey Sadler also scheduled to see time on the hill. The Rays will face Pittsburgh’s top pitching prospect, Mitch Keller, to start things off.