TAMPA, Fla. – While it has certainly helped to have the lineup provide more punch, it was the Rays’ starting pitching that starred during a 15-4 stretch prior to losing the final two of three games in Boston.
In fact, before Zack Littell allowed four solo home runs in six innings of Wednesday’s loss to the Red Sox, the rotation allowed more than three earned runs only once in 19 of 20 games. True, they were not all quality starts. Consistent effectiveness, however, cannot be debated as a 2.62 ERA and 0.94 WHIP would attest.
Here is a look at how the Rays’ quintet of righthanded starting pitchers is faring, and in rotation order.
READ: Evan Longoria To Retire As A Ray; Junior Caminero’s Bobblehead; Eric Orze’s Scoreless Streak
Ryan Pepiot (3-6, 3.31 ERA)
Prior to Tuesday night’s loss at Boston, Pepiot allowed only two runs and eight hits in 19 2/3 innings in his three previous starts. Pitching in a lot of hard luck this season, the 27-year-old has only three wins (3-6) in 14 starts despite a 3.31 ERA. He has logged at least six innings 10 times.
Zack Littell (6-6, 3.84)
Littell was 6-0 with a 2.79 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in eight starts prior to taking the loss Wednesday. His complete game at Houston on May 31 was the Rays’ first since Ryan Yarbrough on June 3, 2021 at Yankee Stadium. His 117 pitches were the most since Jake Odorizzi threw 118 at Minnesota in 2017.
Taj Bradley (4-5, 4.58)
The 24-year-old allowed 12 earned runs in eight innings against Miami in two starts (0-1, 13.50) this season. Otherwise, his ERA is 3.51.
In consecutive starts leading up to last weekend’s loss to the visiting Marlins, Bradley went seven innings and allowed only two earned runs, but was saddled with a pair of losses thanks to a total of two runs of support.
Drew Rasmussen (5-4, 2.22)
Rasmussen had a 23-inning scoreless streak snapped in the first inning last Sunday versus the Marlins. He yielded 10 hits, three walks and struck out 21 during the streak. A model of consistency, ‘Ras’ has walked one or no batters in 10 of his 13 starts. His 0.90 WHIP is good for third in the American League and his 2.22 ERA is seventh. Manager Kevin Cash has said that Rasmussen, coming off a third elbow procedure, will be limited to roughly 150 innings this season. He heads into his start Saturday against the Mets with 69.
READ: Longoria, Rasmussen, And Lowe Talk Rays Past And Present On “The Rock Stops Here”
Shane Baz (5-3, 4.97)
Baz’s next start, which will be Sunday in Queens against the Mets, will match his career high of 14 last season. Baz, who turns 26 on Wednesday, got off to a sizzling start in going 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA in April. He is since 2-3 with a 6.75 ERA in eight starts while lasting as many as six innings only once. His ineffectiveness is spelled out in his strikeout-to-walk ratio: 4:1 in April and 1.7:1 since.
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