Rays send nine lefties at Red Sox starter Andrew Triggs

Tampa Bay featured nine left-handed hitters in its lineup Friday night against right-hander Andrew Triggs.

The Rays even threw in a left-handed pitcher in former American League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell. Tampa Bay continued to play the matchups in the second of this four-game series with the Red Sox.

"When (bench coach) Jerry Narron gave me the lineup I looked at it, and it looked wrong to me," Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said. "Everything was in red. [...]

Tampa Bay featured nine left-handed hitters in its lineup Friday night against right-hander Andrew Triggs.

The Rays even threw in a left-handed pitcher in former American League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell. Tampa Bay continued to play the matchups in the second of this four-game series with the Red Sox.

"When (bench coach) Jerry Narron gave me the lineup I looked at it, and it looked wrong to me," Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said. "Everything was in red."

It marked the first time in baseball’s modern era – dating to 1901 – in which every hitter in the lineup was a pure left-hander. There were no switch hitters batting from the left side against Triggs. The Rays used four left-handed pinch hitters in Thursday’s 4-3 loss against Boston, calling on all four of them after left-handed starter Mike Kickham departed.

"Just looking at their club, we know they’re well-rounded," Roenicke said. "We know that everybody they have on the bench is a real nice player. They really compete well."

bkoch@providencejournal.com

(401) 277-7054

On Twitter: @BillKoch25