Sept. 20—If pitching is contagious, as many in baseball claim, then the Tampa Bay Rays are facing an epidemic.
Manager Kevin Cash and his hot pitching staff will open a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Now it’s all about the Rays’ (75-78) pitching.
In three games, against a potent Boston offense, Tampa Bay pitchers allowed just five runs on 10 hits and struck out 33 times.
After strong starts from Shane Baz and Ryan Pepiatt in the first two games, Jack Littell made it 2-0 on Thursday.
In only 75 pitches, Little improved to 8–9 and struck out seven, lowering his ERA to 3.56 and allowing only a harmless hit in the third inning to Nick Sogard (Boston’s only hitter in the game).
“That’s really impressive,” Cash said of Little, who has gone 20 consecutive scoreless innings. “Targeting (Boston’s) offense and limiting the damage. Not a lot of hard hitting at all. You could tell he kept them off balance.”
Relievers Edwin Uceta and Garrett Clevenger finished off the Rays’ 11th shutout by not allowing a runner in each inning, holding the Red Sox to 28. The ball-carrying, 27-batter advantage showed true dominance.
Tyler Alexander (6-5, 5.58 ERA) will start at Tampa Bay on Friday. He is 2-0 in three starts against the Toronto Raptors this season, giving him a 3.50 ERA in 2-1 career starts against the Jays.
The Blue Jays (73-80) beat the Rangers 4-0 on Thursday behind five hitless innings from Texas starter Kevin Gausman (13-11).
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit the ball twice — 422 feet and 441 feet — to reach 30 home runs for the third time in five seasons.
The club’s record in six road games is 1–2.
Toronto will play its final nine games without star shortstop Beau Bichette, who was ruled out for the remainder of the season on Wednesday after fracturing his right middle finger, two months after recovering from a calf injury.
“He was disappointed,” Toronto head coach John Schneider said. “But I think he’s in a really good place in terms of perspective and so forth. He’s obviously disappointed, but (he) knows there’s going to be a positive outcome. That’s what we’re hoping for.”
Bichette, 26, was catching a grounder when a ball bounced and hit his fingers.
He had a disappointing 2024, ending with a .225 batting average, four home runs, and 31 RBIs in 81 games.
Toronto pitcher Jose Berrios (16-9, 3.44) will find himself on familiar turf at the Gulf Coast Dome in his 31st start.
The Puerto Rican right-hander earned Opening Day recognition and beat the Rays on March 28, pitching six innings and allowing two runs on six hits, including a homer to Yandy Diaz, in an 8–2 victory.
This gives Berrios a 4-0 start in 2024.
However, the Rays evened the score on July 23 with a 4–2 win in Toronto, in which Berríos drew a season-worst six walks and gave up a two-run home run to Brandon Lowe.
The 30-year-old pitcher has made over 12 career starts against Tampa Bay and is 4-5 with a 4.80 ERA, leading the Raptors in wins and has three consecutive seasons of double-digit wins.
The Rays hit .255 with nine home runs in 65 2/3 innings against him.
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