Just For Starters: Breaking Down Jeffrey Springs' Great Start vs. Orioles Saturday Night
BALTIMORE, Md. — This move into the starting rotation continues to pay great dividends for left-hander Jeffrey Springs — and the Tampa Bay Rays.
In his third start of the season after making nine relief appearances, Springs was brilliant again on Saturday night. He pitched into the sixth inning for the first time in his career, and he left with a 5-0 lead.
- UPDATE: The Rays won 6-1. For the complete game story, CLICK HERE
His arrival into the rotation has been a godsend for the Rays, who were struggling to fill the last two spots in the rotation after early injuries to Luis Patino and Ryan Yarbrough. Springs has been great. In three starts, he's really only made one mistake, a home run to Jared Walsh in the loss to the Los Angeles Angels
Here's what Springs did Saturday in our daily ''Just For Starters'' story, along with the cumulative numbers of the starters this season:
Rays' Starters By The Numbers
- Starter: Jeffrey Springs
- Game: Saturday (May 21) at Baltimore Orioles
- Decision: Got the win, now 2-1 on the season.
- Team result: Won 6-1, now 24-16 on the season.
- Innings pitched: 5.2
- Total pitches: 80
- Strikes: 50
- Runs allowed: 0
- Earned runs: 0
- Hits allowed: 1
- Walks allowed: 4
- Total strikeouts: 7
- Status upon departure: Jeffrey Springs was fabulous in his third start of the season, pitching into the sixth inning and not allowing a run and only one hit. His only flaw was four walks, including two in the sixth inning, but they didn't hurt him. He was replaced by Jason Adam with two outs in the sixth. Adam got Trey Mancini to fly out to end the threat.
- The skinny: Springs has now pitched 17 2/3 innings in the month of May in his three starts and one long relief appearance, and he's only given up three runs — all on that Jared Walsh home run. He's been scoreless otherwise.
Season Totals for Rays Starters
- Starters: Shane McClanahan (8), Drew Rasmussen (8), Corey Kluber
(7), Ryan Yarbrough (3), Jeffrey Springs (3), Josh Fleming (2), Luis Patino, Tommy Romero, - Games: 33 (7 openers, not included in numbers)
- Decisions: 10-9 through Friday
- Team result: 23-16 through Friday
- Innings pitched (avg.): 154.2/4.69
- - Season high innings: 7.0, Shane McClanahan (April 24, May 11, May 17)
- - Season low innings: 2/3, Luis Patino (April 11)
- Total pitches (avg.): 2,479/75.12
- - Season high pitches: 100, Shane McClanahan (May 11)
- - Season low pitches: 13, Luis Patino (April 11)
- Total strikeouts (avg.): 161/4.88
- - Season high strikeouts: 11, Shane McClanahan (April 30, May 11)
- Runs allowed (avg.): 64/1.94
- Earned runs (avg.): 60/1.82
- Hits allowed (avg.): 129/43.91
- - Season most hits allowed: 11, Corey Kluber (April 22, May 10)
- Walks allowed (avg.): 43/1.26
- Starter ERA: 3.49
