Tyler Glasnow struck out ten in seven shutout innings, and Jeffrey Springs and Diego castillo helped him finish off a seven-hitter as the Tampa Bay Rays took their second straight contest from the Oakland Athletics 2-0 Wednesday evening at Tropicana Field.
Glasnow ended up striking out every Oakland starter except Seth Brown, and allowed just five hits: a first-inning single to Mark Canha, a second inning double by Tony Kemp, a third inning single by Ramon Laureano, a sixth-inning double by Mitch Moreland, and a single by Matt Chapman late in the same inning.
Tampa Bay was held off the scoreboard until the fifth, when Mike Zunino got a Cole Irvin fastball and rocketed it off the ‘C’ ring catwalk in center field for his team-leading fifth home run of the year.
Brett Phillips followed by drawing a walk, moving to third on a base hit by Randy Arozarena, and scoring on a single from Manuel Margot.
Jeffrey Springs struck out a pair in the eighth, and got the first out of the ninth before Diego Castillo came on and got the final two outs of the game to notch his sixth save of the year.
The Rays can finish off a series victory Thursday afternoon in the finale of this four-game set. Left-hander Shane McClanahan will be called up to make his major league regular season debut, taking on righty Chris Bassitt (2-2, 4.13 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 1:10.
Rays Send Head Down
After Wednesday’s game, reliever Louis Head was optioned by the Rays to the alternate training site in order to make room for McClanahan on the active roster.
Head, who was called up on Friday for the first time, made two relief appearances, allowing just one hit and no runs in three innings of work, walking one and striking out one.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
