Rays Brett Phillips Didn't Make ALDS Roster

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Brett Phillips didn't make the roster in the team's American League Division Series, Manager Kevin Cash told reporters in the Rays interview room.

Cash said keeping Phillips off is a very tough decision for everything he has meant to their club this year. "And he can — he certainly has played well and is deserving, but given how I'm very confident we're going to be aggressive with our pitchers and in the bullpen, we wanted to make sure that we added the extra pitcher," Cash said. "And then also, that theoretically, we're going to be facing three lefties, or the potential to face three left-handed starters in this series."

Phillips plans to cheer for his teammates from the clubhouse during this series.

Boston Red Sox left-handed pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez is starting Thursday night. Rodriguez has allowed zero home runs in his last five appearances, four of those as starting pitcher. ALDS game 1 against the Rays is his first career postseason start.

Left-handed rookie pitcher Shane McClanahan is starting for the Rays. McClanahan was Tampa Bay’s most consistent starter this season, posting a 3.43 ERA with 141 strikeouts in 123 1/3 innings over 25 starts, Major League Baseball reported.

Rookie Shane Baz is starting right-handed pitcher for game 2 Friday night against the Sox. Baz didn't exactly have expectation of being a starting pitcher in the playoffs.

"I mean, you never really know, just there's so much stuff in motion all the time," he said. "So, yeah, probably not expecting it, but, I mean, just trying to be ready for it, like if it happens."

Cash said Baz showed them enough in his only three Major League Baseball games that he's played in his career. The coach believes that his three start games are "probably better than anything that he had shown in Durham this year."

Tropicana Field is expecting an attendance of at least 30,000 in game 1. First pitch is 8:08 p.m., and will be broadcast on FS1.