Pitcher Shane McClanahan Makes MLB History in Rays' 6-2 Win Over Blue Jays
TORONTO — Shane McClanahan has been great for the Tampa Bay Rays all season. How great has the lefty starter been?
How about greatest ever?
McClanahan set a major-league record while pitching seven innings of one-run ball in the Rays' 6-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays during the first game of a Saturday doubleheader. He became the only pitcher in MLB history with 19 earned runs or fewer and at least 133 strikeouts thru 16 starts of a season.
Now that's something.
It was the ninth time in his last 10 outings that he had allowed one earned run or less. His 1.74 ERA is the best in the American League and his 133 strikeouts leads all of baseball. He had 10 strikeouts on Saturday, and allowed only three hits.
“Shane is a stud, and he’s doing it against a team that doesn’t strike out very much,'' Rays manager Kevin Cash said after the game. "I’m just so impressed with the way Mac goes about his business. He just stays locked in.
"It felt like he probably got a little bit better as the game went on. They got to him early with a quick run in the first 10 pitches and then after that, there wasn’t a ton going on for him.’’
Kevin Cash was happy to see the @RaysBaseball offense come alive as he breaks down the win over the Blue Jays in Game 1 of the doubleheader. #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/uo2Btj2UGy
— Bally Sports Sun: Rays (@BallyRays) July 2, 2022
The Jays did get to him quickly in the first, but that was it. No. 2 hitter Bo Bichette hit his second pitch into right field for a double and then two pitches later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled him home.
McClahanan (9-3) allowed just one hit and one walk the rest of the way, leaving after the seventh inning and throwing 94 pitches.
What was even nicer was that the Rays' bats finally came alive. They scored six runs, which they've done only once in the previous 12 games, and all nine hitters in the order had at least one hit. Tampa Bay had 13 hits in total.
The Rays tied the game in the third, getting a home run from Isaac Paredes, his 12th of the season. It was much needed, because the Rays had left five runners on base in the first two innings.
They took the lead for good in the fifth. Wander Franco drew a one-out walk and then went to third on a single by Harold Ramirez. He scored on an infield hit from Randy Arozarena, grabbing a 2-1 lead.
But they weren't done. Kevin Kiermaier, fresh off the injured list on Friday, beat out an infield hit to load the bases and then catcher Rene Pinto, who came into the game hitting .167, singled to right to score two more runs.
The kept piling on, getting a solo home run in the sixth inning from shortstop Wander Franco, hit first long ball in 132 at bats dating all the way back to April 26. They got the sixth run in the eighth inning when Taylor Walls singled, stole second and scored on a Yandy Diaz single up the middle.
Javy Guerra, who was called up from Triple-A Durham after Brooks Raley and Ryan Thompson couldn't make the trip into Canada because of their vaccination status, pitched the final two innings, allowing one run.
It was a good team win, but this one, which snapped a four-game losing streak, was really all about McClanahan. He zeroes in on every start and lives in the moment.
Saturday was full of big moments.
“To tell you the truth, I take each start for what it is and it’s a new day,'' McClanahan said. "It doesn’t;’t matter what you do In the past, I just focus on the task at hand. I flush the bad starts and the good starts, and today is a new day.
“The willingness to compete in the zone today, even when I fell behind. let them hit it and let my defense make the plays and compete their butts off. I did a better job of mixing and executing pitches and not falling behind so much and making quality 0-0, 0-1 pitches and setting strike three up.''
.@RaysBaseball ace Shane McClanahan praises his teammates for their defense and their production at the plate as he talks about another dominant start. #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/SnbC2exuhY
— Bally Sports Sun: Rays (@BallyRays) July 2, 2022
Game 2 of the doubleheader starts at 6:07 p.m. ET, with Drew Rasmussen back on the mound for the Rays. He hasn't made a start since June 10 after dealing with some hamstring issues.
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.