Yesterday, Sergio Romo served as the Rays’ “opener” against the Angels because they figured that sort of matchup was the best way to continue their 6-game winning streak. The deeper thinking was that by eliminating a turn through the toughest part of the order, their “regular” starter could actually pitch deeper into the game and not expose the bullpen to as many innings.
The stratagem played out perfectly, so it came as no surprise when the Rays announced they would do it again today. This time, Romo would be “opening” against Shohei Ohtani.