Shane Baz not only looks like a haggard Confederate general on his back heels having to retreat while Tecumseh Sherman and his Union troops barrel down on his position, he’s lately pitching like one too.
In May for Baz:19.2 IP
30 hits
6 HRs allowed
12:10 K:BB ratio
9.60 ERA
2.03 WHIP
Particularly problematic is that none of this is bad luck. Just today, Shane Baz’s savant box score today was an inferno with 12 hard hit balls.
Through 3 innings, Baz had seemingly pulled a Siegfried and Roy magic act escaping self made jam after self made jam. Two base runners in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd innings, and somehow still 0 runs scored thanks in large part to a perfect throw from JLowe in RF to nail a runner at home.
And then, much like Siegfriend and Roy, disaster struck and the magic ran out. First three batters of the 4th and double, single, and HR later quickly the 1 run lead turned into a 3-1 deficit.
With no offdays before the series with Houston, Kevin Cash chose the bullpen preservation route over the “trying to win the game/series” route, and left Shane Baz to keep giving up leadoff base runners and hope the hard contact went into the ground and not over the wall. 5th inning got lucky. Cash once again decide to try another dice roll, and Baz was unable to sustain the luck.
No way around it, Baz did not have anything working today and pushing him into the 6th was not a choice you make if you want to maximize your chance of winning this series. The Rays need better from Baz, and we are rapidly approaching the time to make a decision whether it’s Baz or maybe Joe Boyle or Ian Seymour who is making the next start 5 days from now.
Rays bats started well and had chances against Marlins starter Cal Quantrill. The biggest moment, and the momentum swing that might have decided the game, came in the top of the 3rd.
After the bottom of the order were able top set the table, the bases were juiced for Junior Caminero. 1 out, and already with the 1 run lead, Caminero had the chance to really break this open and put the pressure onto the Marlins. Instead, Caminero grounded into his MLB leading 12th(!) double play of the season.
Overall the Rays bats mostly couldn’t muster any rallies, and the big issue was 4-5-6 with Caminero, Christopher Morel (he’s still here?!), and Kameron Misner going a combined 0-11 with 5 Ks. The low moment for that trio came in the 4th where they got Immaculate Inning’d by Quantrill.
Rays drop the “Rivalry Weekend” series to Miami, and both losses being hyper frustrating games let down by their youngest and perhaps highest ceiling starters in Taj Bradley and Shane Baz.
The Rays are a team built around run prevention. They have the weapons to do it. Right now, they need a lot more than what Taj and Baz are able to give. And for Cash and the rest of the team, they have to hope that can get right quick.
