ST. PETERSBURG (SNN-TV) – The Tampa Bay Rays downed the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-4, improving to 93-58 on the year. But last night, the Rays showed off their newest and shiniest arm in Shane Baz. The No.1 Rays prospect made his Rays debut and performed well, picking up his first career win.
The righty worked 5 innings of two hit ball, with those hits both being solo home runs courtesy of Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Baz would also strike out five Blue Jays without allowing a walk on 65 pitches thrown. Baz threw 51 of 65 pitches (78.5%) for strikes, the highest percentage by a starting pitcher in his MLB debut since pitches were first tracked beginning in 1988.
The outing put Baz on the radar for a potential postseason roster spot, per Rays skipper Kevin Cash. “That was part of the thought process in getting him up here. We wanted to see him and give him a little bit of the big league experience. If there was an opportunity or if there is an opportunity, if we get where we’re wanting to get, he becomes an option for us.”
Baz speaks to the moment as being once in a lifetime, “It was like a dream come true type of thing. Trying to just keep my composure, remember the plan and just execute.”
The Rays and Jays run it back tonight at 7:10 from the Trop. Drew Rasmussen takes the mound for Tampa against Toronto’s Alek Manoah.
