The Tampa Bay Rays will turn to their most reliable pitcher of late when left-hander Shane McClanahan takes the mound Saturday afternoon in the second contest of a three-game series against the host Miami Marlins.
McClanahan (6-2, 2.45 ERA) will have a tough act to follow after Drew Rasmussen frustrated the Marlins, tossing seven shutout innings in a 6-0 win on Friday.
Miami trailed 3-0 after the first inning and could produce just one hit against Rasmussen, who retired 17 straight batters at one point.
The Marlins managed just two hits overall, including a ninth-inning bunt single by Esteury Ruiz, and a walk. The club was hitless in its lone at-bat with runners in scoring position.
“It’s one of those nights you tip your cap (to Rasmussen),” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said of the right-hander’s dominant nine-strikeout outing. “His ability to execute and locate his fastball. … I think our first 2-0 count in the whole game was in the eighth inning with two outs.
“We just didn’t have an answer, but a lot of that is just him executing at a really high rate. We just never got into any kind of a threat. … We couldn’t combat his fastball.”
Three of McClanahan’s first four starts lasted fewer than five innings, and the production was mediocre or just downright poor in all three. He still was getting accustomed to being back on the mound after missing more than full two seasons due to injuries.
However, starting with the Rays’ 6-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on April 25, McClanahan has been incredibly sharp.
After winning four of six starts and posting a 1.41 ERA in May, the left-hander is 5-0 with a 1.22 ERA dating back to beating the Twins.
Over those 37 innings, McClanahan has allowed just five runs, 24 hits and one home run. His good work has resulted in 35 strikeouts and eight walks.
He’s not his old self, lasering triple-digit fastballs by hitters. as the 29-year-old is more pitcher than flamethrower these days, post-injuries.
“I’m still pretty hard on myself,” he said. “I think that kind of makes me who I am just as a competitor. … I’m not going to go out there and try and be average or mediocre and just accept anything but my best.”
McClanahan has been exceptional in two career starts against the Marlins, posting a 2-0 record and a 0.82 ERA in 11 innings. He has given up one run on 10 hits while striking out a dozen batters and walking three.
He has not pitched against the Marlins since 2022.
Rays manager Kevin Cash said outfielder Chandler Simpson, who left Friday’s game after the second inning, has a bruised left thumb and is day-to-day.
Miami’s Lake Bachar (0-0, 3.45) will make his 20th appearance and second start Sunday when he serves as the opener in a bullpen game.
The right-hander started Tuesday and tossed 2 2/3 hitless and scoreless innings against the Washington Nationals. He struck out three batters and walked one.
In three career relief appearances against the Rays, Bachar has a 6.00 ERA without a decision over three innings.
McCullough said Ryan Gusto, the opener on Friday, would be the only reliever unavailable out of the bullpen on Saturday.
“We’re in a really good spot (Saturday) coming off the off day,” McCullough said.
–Field Level Media
