Fill-in Joe Boyle Throws Five No-Hit Innings in Rays' 8-3 Win Over Braves

TAMPA, Fla. — Spot start? How about spot on?

Joe Boyle's weekend started in Buffalo, N. Y., where he was waiting to pitch for the Triple-A Durham Bulls. It ended with a phone call from the Tampa Bay Rays, and a quick flight to Florida so he could make a spot start for the Rays on Sunday against the Atlanta Braves.

And all he did was pitch five-plus no-hit innings, helping the Rays win 8-3 — and turning a lot of heads along the way.

"He’s really good. He can throw. He impressed me today, but he also impressed me during spring training,'' said Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, who had a big three-run home run in the sixth inning to blow open a close game. "God bless him. He can throw the ball. For somebody who throws 100 mph and from that arm angle, he’s special.’’

Boyle arrived in Tampa late Saturday night, and it was clear he was ready to go on Sunday in his showdown with former Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale. All he did was retire the first 13 hitters he faced before walking Ozzie Albies in the fifth inning. But he struck out Braves catcher Sean Murphy and got right fielder Jarred Kelenic to fly out to center, and he headed back to the dugout with a 3-0 lead.

The Rays tacked on another run in the bottom of the inning to grab a four-run lead, and Boyle came back out for the sixth. But he hit shortstop Nick Allen and then walked left fielder Eli White — the No. 8 and No. 9 hitter in the order — and that was enough, despite the no-hitter.

Rays manager Kevin Cash wasn't going to let him get into any further trouble.

“The comfort and the confidence, and the way he was able to get into a rhythm was really good against an Atlanta offense that left last night’s game on fire,'' Cash said. "It was pretty dominant stuff during his five-plus innings of work.

“Look, six innings. he wasn’t going after farther than that. I can appreciate the way baseball is viewed and I understand that. I looked at (assistant hitting coach) Brady (North) and I said, ‘this is going to go over real well.’ I’m fully aware, but I do think it was the right move in the moment. But six innings was all he was going to go.’’

Lefty Mason Montgomery relieved Boyle, and he got a run-scoring fielder's choice and a strikeout. But then Caminero made an error at third base and Matt Olson and Albies followed with singles and it was suddenly 4-3.

But unlike Saturday when the Rays couldn't add on to a lead — loading the bases with none out and not scoring in an eventual 5-4 loss — they answered right back in the bottom of the inning. Center fielder Jake Mangum singled and Taylor Walls walked. Jonathan Aranda, pinch-hitting for Curtis Mead, singled to right, scoring Mangum.

On the next pitch, Caminero hit a 413-foot blast to left-center for a three-run homer. That was enough to seal the deal. Mason Englert got the last six outs for the Rays, who are now 7-8 on the season and just 1.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the muddled American League East standings.

The 6-foot-8 Boyle got the win, his first in the big leagues since beating the Rays with six scoreless innings last Aug. 19 as a member of the Oakland Athletics. (He came to the Rays in the Jeffrey Springs trade last winter.) He finished being charged with two runs, and had seven strikeouts.

It was quite the day. And even though he's pitched parts of the last two seasons in the bigs with Oakland, he was still feeling some butterflies when he took the mound at Steinbrenner Field on Sunday. And it helped pitching with a lead, thanks to a first-inning home run from Yandy Diaz.

"“First time back in the big leagues, yeah you feel it. It was good to work through it. I felt good about it (being back) and I was happy with the way it went,'' Boyle said afterward in the Rays' clubhouse. "Having the lead, it just makes you want to attack the zone more. I felt pretty good about getting ahead of guys and throwing my best stuff in the zone. It’s an important part of the game.''

Boyle, a Kentucky native who played collegiately at Notre Dame, threw 74 pitches against the Braves, who are now 4-11 on the season and just 1-9 on the road. He didn't flinch when Cash came to get him in the sixth inning, despite knowing he still had a no-hitter. It was a job well done, and he knew it.

“Yeah, of course (he was aware of the no-hitter), but the goal was a quality start,'' he said. "I was talking to guys (in the dugout). I’m not one to go sit by myself. I understood the decision and I’m not going to argue about it.''

Boyle got the start so the Rays could give the rest of the starters and extra day of rest. The Rays don't have an off day until April 21 and start a three-game series with AL East rival Boston on Monday night, followed by four games this weekend with the New York Yankees.

Cash said they'll talk about what do with Boyle on Sunday night. He could stick around, or get sent back to Durham until he's needed again.