Just For Starters: Breaking Down Corey Kluber's Shaky Start vs. Orioles on Sunday
BALTIMORE, Md. — Corey Kluber had a difficult day on the mound for Tampa Bay on Sunday. He lasted only three innings and was fortunate to leave with a 5-2 lead after the Rays spotted him four runs in the first inning..
Kluber threw 73 pitches and allowed five hits and two runs, and was pitching around traffic the entire game. He allowed a single and a walk in the first inning, and then hit a batter before Ramon Urias grounded out to end the inning.
He gave up a leadoff double to Rougned Odor in the second and pitched around it, but in the third, he gave up two singles and a walk, and then Odor doubled again to make it 4-2.
Kluber got saved by Randy Arozarena in left field. He made a long run and a diving catch to end the inning, saving two runs.
Here are Kluber's numbers on the day, and the cumulative stats for all Rays starting pitchers this season.
Rays' Starters By The Numbers
- Starter: Corey Kluber
- Game: Sunday (May 22) at Baltimore Orioles
- Decision: None
- Team result: Lost 7-6 in 11 innings, now 24-17 on the season
- Innings pitched: 3.0
- Total pitches: 73
- Strikes: 45
- Runs allowed: 2
- Earned runs: 2
- Hits allowed: 5
- Walks allowed: 2
- Total strikeouts: 2
- Status upon departure: Corey Kluber had a hard time throwing strikes on Sunday and was fortunate to get out of the game with just two allowed runs, considering all the baserunners the Orioles had. Kluber was replaced by Jason Adam to start the fourth inning, and he left with a 5-2 lead.
- The skinny: Kluber had the third shaky start of eight this year. He was fortunate. the Rays gave him a lead, and he was able to navigate through a lot of trouble. his defense saved him, too.
Season Totals for Rays Starters
- Starters: Shane McClanahan (8), Drew Rasmussen (8), Corey Kluber
(8), Ryan Yarbrough (3), Jeffrey Springs (3), Josh Fleming (2), Luis Patino, Tommy Romero, - Games: 34 (7 openers, not included in numbers)
- Decisions: 11-9 through Saturday
- Team result: 24-16 through Saturday
- Innings pitched (avg.): 157.2/4.64
- - Season high innings: 7.0, Shane McClanahan (April 24, May 11, May 17)
- - Season low innings: 2/3, Luis Patino (April 11)
- Total pitches (avg.): 2,555/75.15
- - Season high pitches: 100, Shane McClanahan (May 11)
- - Season low pitches: 13, Luis Patino (April 11)
- Total strikeouts (avg.): 163/4.79
- - Season high strikeouts: 11, Shane McClanahan (April 30, May 11)
- Runs allowed (avg.): 66/1.94
- Earned runs (avg.): 62/1.82
- Hits allowed (avg.): 134/43.91
- - Season most hits allowed: 11, Corey Kluber (April 22, May 10)
- Walks allowed (avg.): 45/1.32
- Starter ERA: 3.49
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Tom Brew is the publisher of Inside The Rays, and has been with the Sports Illustrated/FanNation network for three years. He is an award-winning writer and editor who has spent most of his four-decade career at the Tampa Bay Times, Indianapolis Star and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has written four books.