Just For Starters: Breaking Down Drew Rasmussen's Start Against Cubs Wednesday

CHIGAGO, Ill. — The Tampa Bay Rays got a a big-8-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night, and even though rain shortened the game to just 5 1/2 innings, Rays starter Drew Rasmussen wasn't around for the end of it.
He lasted just three innings on Wednesday, racking up 79 pitches in a hurry. Here's our "Just For Starters'' daily story breaking down the Rays' starting pitcher, with cumulative numbers for all the starters, now through seven games.
Rays' Starters By The Numbers
- Starter: Drew Rasmussen
- Game: Wednesday at Chicago Cubs
- Decision: None
- Team result: Rays won 8-2
- Innings pitched: 3.0
- Total pitches: 79
- Strikes: 48
- Runs allowed: 2
- Earned runs: 2
- Hits allowed: 4
- Walks allowed: 2
- Total strikeouts: 4
- Status upon departure: Drew Rasmussen left after the third inning with a 5-2. He was replaced by Jalen Beeks in the bottom of the fourth. Beeks wound up getting the win.
- The skinny: Rasmussen
Season Totals for Rays Starters
- Starters: Shane McClanahan (3), Drew Rasmussen (3), Corey Kluber
(2), Luis Patino, Tommy Romero, Josh Fleming - Games: 11 (2 opener, not included in numbers)
- Decisions: 0-4 thru Wednesday
- Team result: 7-6 thru Wednesday
- Innings pitched (avg.): 42.1/3.9
- - Season high innings: 6.0, Shane McClanahan (April 18)
- - Season low innings: 2/3, Luis Patino (April 11)
- Total pitches (avg.): 735/66.7
- - Season high pitches: 87, Corey Kluber (April 10)
- - Season low pitches: 13, Luis Patino (April 11)
- Strikes (avg.): 479/43.4
- Total strikeouts (avg.): 49/4.2
- - Season high strikeouts: 9, Shane McClanahan (April 18)
- Runs allowed (avg.): 22/2.0
- Earned runs (avg.): 20/1.8
- Hits allowed (avg.): 39/3.6
- Walks allowed (avg.): 18/1.6
- Starter ERA: 4:31
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Tom Brew is the publisher of Inside The Rays, and has been with the Sports Illustrated/FanNation network for three years. He is an award-winning writer and editor who has spent most of his four-decade career at the Tampa Bay Times, Indianapolis Star and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has written four books.
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