The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Oakland A’s by a score of 2-0 on Wednesday night, following Tyler Glasnow’s impressive performance. The Rays jumped out to a lead in the fifth inning, and rode their pitching to a victory the rest of the way.
Glasnow Dazzles
Tyler Glasnow looked like his 2019 self, which was unfortunately derailed by injury. Glasnow was able to give the Rays seven innings in which he was virtually unhittable. In his seven innings, he gave up just five hits and two walks, compared to no earned runs and ten strikeouts. This was a great bounce-back start for Glasnow after he had a sub-par performance in his last start against the Blue Jays, in which he gave up five runs in six innings.
Hitters Get it Done
While the Rays’ offense was not excellent, it was enough to get the job done. Tampa Bay had eight hits as a team and was able to put up two runs in the fifth inning. These two runs would end up being the difference maker in Wednesday’s pitcher’s duel. The first of the two came from a home run hit by catcher, Mike Zunino, which would be his fifth of the season. The second run came from an RBI single by Manuel Margot which allowed Brett Phillips to score.
Bullpen Shines
Tyler Glasnow wasn’t the only impressive pitching spectacle. While they only pitched for two innings, Springs and Castillo shut the door in the eighth and ninth innings. They allowed no runs during those two innings while also striking out three in the process.
Future Outlook
With the win, the Rays move above .500 with a 13-12 record. They currently sit in second place in the AL East, just behind the Red Sox by 2.5 games. Wednesday’s game also gave hope that Tyler Glasnow may be returning to his 2019 form. So far this season, Glasnow is 3-1 with a 1.67 ERA to go along with 56 strikeouts.
Next Up
The Rays will face off against the A’s again on Thursday afternoon at 1:10 PM, with Shane McClanahan taking the ball for the Rays; Chris Bassitt will take the bump for the A’s.