Just For Starters: Rays' Shane Baz Sparkles in 2nd Start Of Season

Tampa Bay pitcher Shane Baz turned 23 years old on Friday night, and he celebrated by pitching six scoreless innings for the Rays against the Baltimore Orioles. He left with the score still 0-0. Here's our ''Just For Starters'' breakdown of his night, plus cumulative stats for the Rays' rotation.

BALTIMORE, Md. — The anticipation level over Shane Baz's return to the Tampa Bay Rays rotation has been high, but it got tempered a bit when he got roughed up in his first start last week.

But Friday night, in his second start against the Baltimore Orioles, we saw what was worth the wait. Baz was brilliant, throwing six scoreless innings and allowing just two hits. He left after the sixth inning with the score tied 0-0.

Here are the numbers in our ''Just For Starters'' series, plus the ever-improving cumulative numbers of the Rays' rotation.

Rays' Starters By The Numbers

• Starter: Shane Baz
• Game: Friday (June 17) at Baltimore Orioles
• Decision: None
• Team result: Pending
• Innings pitched: 6.0
• Total pitches: 76
• Strikes: 48
• Runs allowed: 0
• Earned runs: 0
• Hits allowed: 2
• Walks allowed: 0
• Total strikeouts: 7
• Status upon departure: Shane Baz bounced back beautifully in his second start of the season, pitching six scoreless innings and staying out of trouble all night. He left after the sixth inning with the scored still tied 0-0. Calvin Faucher came in to pitch the seventh. 
  
• The skinny: Considering he gave up five runs in the third inning of his first start, it was great to see Baz mowing down hitters one after another. Rays management talks often about all of his skills, and they were all on full display tonight. 

Season Totals for Rays Starters

• Starters: Shane McClanahan (13), Drew Rasmussen (12), Corey Kluber
  (12), Jeffrey Springs (7), Ryan Yarbrough (6), Shane Baz (2), Josh Fleming (2), Luis Patino, Tommy Romero,
• Games: 56 (8 openers, not included in numbers)
• Team record: 35-28 through Thursday
• Decisions: 19-18 through Thursday
• - Most wins: Shane McClanahan (7)
• Innings pitched (avg.): 276.1/4.93
• - Season high innings: 8.0, Shane McClanahan (June 9) 
• - Season low innings: 2/3, Luis Patino (April 11)
• Total pitches (avg.): 4,375/78,13
• - Season high pitches: 100, Shane McClanahan (May 11)
• - Season low pitches: 13, Luis Patino (April 11)
• Total strikeouts (avg.): 274/4.89
• - Season high strikeouts: 11, Shane McClanahan (April 30, May 11)
• Runs allowed (avg.): 117/2.09
• Earned runs (avg.): 103/1.84
• Hits allowed (avg.): 235/4.20
• - Season most hits allowed: 11, Corey Kluber (April 22, May 10)
• Walks allowed (avg.): 70/1.25
• Starter ERA: 3.35