ST. PETERSBURG — For all of the beginning pitching accidents the Rays have sustained this 12 months, from Jeffrey Springs to Drew Rasmussen to Shane McClanahan, keep in mind this because the season’s stretch run heats up: They nonetheless have an ace up their sleeve.
Tyler Glasnow prolonged his streak of dominant performances with what he felt to be his finest begin of the season in Tampa Bay’s 3-1 win over Boston on Wednesday evening at Tropicana Field. Glasnow struck out a career-high-tying 14 batters whereas permitting solely three hits over six innings on a season-high 103 pitches — a top-of-the-rotation efficiency by one of many recreation’s most proficient arms.
“I hope I can do that a lot more,” Glasnow stated, smiling.
Glasnow’s outing helped the Rays enhance to 10-2 of their previous 12 collection, a stretch throughout which they’ve received 23 of 35 video games. If this begin was an indication of issues to come back, it’s a very good one for him and the Rays.
Glasnow has put collectively loads of spectacular begins this season, together with a number of on this streak with a career-best 9 consecutive begins of a minimum of six innings. But this one felt completely different, even by his requirements.
The large right-hander stated it was the primary time all season he had his mechanics in line, his timing on level and each the carry and motion he wished on all three of his pitches.
“It was a good game,” Glasnow stated. “I think everything finally just felt good.”
“It did look special,” Rays supervisor Kevin Cash stated.
Glasnow compelled the Red Sox to swing and miss 22 instances on the evening, his third-highest complete of the season. He had every part working, along with his fastball operating as much as 99 mph, his curveball ending 5 strikeouts and the Sox whiffing on 11 of the 16 swings they took in opposition to his slider.
“It’s terrifying as an opposing hitter,” second baseman Brandon Lowe stated. “It’s somebody that I want to roll out there on the mound pretty much every day.”
Glasnow turned the primary participant in group historical past to file a number of 14-strikeout video games, as he additionally fanned 14 on April 12, 2021. The solely different Tampa Bay pitchers to whiff a minimum of 14 in a recreation are Chris Archer (15), James Shields (15) and David Price (14). Lance Lynn is the one pitcher to strike out extra batters in a recreation this season, as he whiffed 16 Mariners for the White Sox on June 18.
The Rays backed Glasnow with sufficient run help to win for the tenth time in his 17 begins this season. Brandon Lowe, Tuesday evening’s walk-off hero, stayed scorching with a third-inning homer to right-center off Nick Pivetta. Isaac Paredes went deep to left within the fourth, his twenty eighth homer of the season and the fiftieth of his profession, and Harold Ramírez (celebrating his twenty ninth birthday) doubled in one other run within the fifth after barely lacking a house run to middle discipline.
The lone run Glasnow allowed got here within the third inning, when Enmanuel Valdez singled and scored on a Connor Wong triple to proper discipline. The solely different hit Glasnow permitted was a first-inning Rafael Devers double off The Trop’s catwalks, and the one baserunner he allowed after that got here on Trevor Story’s leadoff stroll within the fifth.
“His stuff today was really electric,” Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas stated. “We want to jump on the fastball, so when he starts throwing breaking pitches that are tunneling perfectly with the fastball — that’s why he’s one of the best pitchers in the game, because he’s able to do that.”
Standing in entrance of his locker after the sport, Glasnow in contrast his efficiency a number of instances to the best way he pitched in 2021. He was arguably essentially the most dominant pitcher in baseball the primary two months that 12 months, till a season-ending harm that required Tommy John surgical procedure.
After rehabbing most of final season, Glasnow returned for a number of brief outings. The Rays have been discussing methods to handle his workload in Spring Training earlier than he sustained a left indirect pressure that in the end sidelined him till May 27.
The silver lining from that information, irritating because it was? The Rays didn’t have to fret about managing his workload anymore. When the video games mattered most, he could be able to go, freed from restrictions.
Turns out, he may additionally be at his finest when the Rays want him most.
“Look, you’ve got to have some dominant starting pitching to get where you want to get,” Cash stated. “Certainly we want to play well here in September, and he’s a big part of that.”
Content Source: www.mlb.com