A twist in Rays' wild pitching experiment: Reliever Sergio Romo to get first career start

Tom Schad | USA TODAY

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In a bold and unusual move, the Tampa Bay Rays plan to start relief pitcher Sergio Romo against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night, according to The Tampa Bay Times.

Manager Kevin Cash told the newspaper that Romo, who has 588 career relief appearances in the major leagues, will pitch the first inning or two in what will be his first big league start. He'll then make way for rookie left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, who will pitch the bulk of the innings.

"The way that their lineup stacks generally speaking is very heavy right-handed at the top," Cash told The Tampa Bay Times. "It allows us in theory to let Sergio to come in there and play the matchup game in the first, which is somewhat unheard of – up until Saturday anyway. ... Then Yarbs can, in theory, have the availability to get deeper in the game."

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Cash said part of his reasoning for the move is based in a desire to prevent Yarbrough from facing the top of the Angels' order - which of late has included sluggers Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani and Justin Upton - a dreaded third time. In recent years, managers across baseball, including Cash, have come to rely upon metrics which show that a typical starting pitcher becomes less effective each time he faces the same hitter in a game. The third trip through the order, many managers believe, can be the most risky.

Saturday's unusual pitching strategy is an extension of the "bullpen days" the Rays have employed this season, where they designate an "opening" pitcher who, by design, only pitches a few innings, followed by a parade of relievers. In their first such game this season, in March against the Boston Red Sox, reliever Andrew Kittredge started the game and through 54 pitches before being replaced in the fourth inning by Yarbrough, who threw 73.

This time, however, it goes a step further: A man with 84 career saves, who hasn't faced more than seven batters in a single game this season, will get the start.

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.