BOSTON — After holding the Pink Sox to 2 runs over six innings within the Rays’ 7-2 win Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park, Shane Baz can look again with fairly a little bit of delight on what he completed this season.
Maybe extra importantly, the 25-year-old right-hander can lastly look ahead to an offseason that received’t be outlined by rehab work and a season that shouldn’t be restricted by accidents.
Baz had loads of assist because the Rays improved to 80-81, giving them an opportunity to complete the season with a .500 report. After scoring 18 whole runs over their final 9 video games, the Rays broke out for seven. Junior Caminero had three hits, together with a two-run blast over the Inexperienced Monster. Josh Lowe had one other well timed hit, a two-run single within the Rays’ four-run fifth.
However Baz dealt with the heavy lifting in Tampa Bay’s penultimate sport of the season, permitting solely three hits and a stroll whereas putting out seven as he breezed by means of six innings on 86 pitches. Now, he can head right into a mercifully regular offseason on a optimistic word, having put collectively a 4-1 report and a 2.09 ERA over his closing seven begins.
“I feel I nonetheless have quite a bit that I can work on and enhance on, however yeah, I can not complain,” Baz mentioned after his third straight high quality begin. “I really feel like I used to be capable of pull my weight and throw each 5 days and provides us an opportunity lots of the time, so I used to be proud of it.”
Baz’s profession hasn’t progressed in any type of linear trend since he sped by means of the higher Minors to debut for the Rays three years in the past. He had arthroscopic surgical procedure on his proper elbow throughout the next Spring Coaching, made six begins for Tampa Bay that summer time then underwent Tommy John surgical procedure on Sept. 28, 2022.
He spent all of 2023 working his means again to the mound, a course of that spanned two offseasons — “Not enjoyable,” he mentioned — and restricted his workload this 12 months. He spent practically two months increase his stamina in Triple-A, then lastly rejoined the Rays on July 5.
Since then, Baz has capitalized on the chance to be a mainstay within the rotation and delivered the kind of efficiency you’d anticipate from a former prime prospect of his caliber. In 14 large league outings, the hard-throwing starter recorded a 3.06 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP with 69 strikeouts in 79 1/3 innings.
“Very inspired with the best way he completed,” supervisor Kevin Money mentioned.
Baz mentioned he’s wanting ahead to having time within the offseason to deal with including energy and refining his arsenal. Pitching coach Kyle Snyder lately famous that Baz, who shut down Boston’s lineup with principally fastballs and curveballs, will work on his slider and changeup over the winter.
However Snyder raved concerning the “regular progress” Baz has made since his return and the way successfully he’s pitched. And simply getting up to now is an accomplishment not misplaced on Baz.
“He labored actually arduous to get again to this, being the beginning pitcher that he is able to. Actually hiccups alongside the best way, however felt like he mentally overcame them and he is put collectively a run of some actually spectacular begins,” Money mentioned earlier than the sport. “Like the best way that he is going to have the ability to head into the offseason feeling good concerning the outcomes he is gotten, the workload he is gotten, and must be fairly limit-free come subsequent 12 months.”
Baz’s outing continued a formidable run for Tampa Bay’s starters, who’ve allowed three earned runs or fewer in 21 consecutive video games, the longest single-season streak since a 25-gamer from Could 2-13, 2019.
Reliever Kevin Kelly continued an equally spectacular run after Baz left the mound, pitching a clear seventh to increase his scoreless streak to 24 1/3 innings, the longest lively mark within the Majors and the third-longest run in franchise historical past.
Maybe it was becoming that, in a sport began by Baz, right-hander Drew Rasmussen dealt with the ultimate two innings. Having come again from his personal elbow process this summer time, he eased again into the combination as a two-inning reliever and posted a 2.83 ERA in 28 2/3 innings over 16 outings.
The Rays should determine this offseason whether or not Rasmussen will return to the rotation or keep within the bullpen. However both means, Money mentioned, “He’s bought an opportunity to actually assist us out” subsequent season.
“It wasn’t excellent tonight, however you simply look again over the place I have been during the last 18 months or so, and I am really simply blessed to have the chance to be again taking part in on the sphere,” Rasmussen mentioned. “Fairly good 12 months, and we’re enthusiastic about issues shifting ahead.”
