Rays lose mixed excellent sport bid in ninth

BALTIMORE — The opener technique is understanding fairly effectively.

The Tampa Bay Rays, who popularized the pitching method that has been spreading throughout baseball, practically threw a mixed excellent sport utilizing the technique throughout a Four-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday afternoon.

Of the 23 excellent video games in main league historical past, all have been thrown by a single pitcher.

Proper-hander Ryne Stanek began the sport and went two innings, putting out two and throwing 31 pitches. He then gave technique to lefty Ryan Yarbrough, who labored the following six innings with out permitting a baserunner. Yarbrough stayed on to begin the ninth, however allowed a floor single to proper discipline to leadoff hitter Hanser Alberto, by the overshifted infield.

Alberto’s single had only a 16% chance of being successful, in accordance with Statcast. It was simply his second hit of the season in opposition to the shift that went to the best aspect of the sphere, in accordance with Statcast. His final one was an analogous dribbler on April 27 in Minnesota in opposition to the Twins.

After Alberto’s single, the Camden Yards crowd of 14,082 rose to its toes and gave a standing ovation in honor of the last-place Birds getting their first hit of the day.

Ryan Yarbrough took the Rays’ mixed excellent sport bid into the ninth inning earlier than permitting successful to the Orioles’ Hanser Alberto. AP Photograph/Julio Cortez

Yarbrough was relieved after permitting one other single to Stevie Wilkerson after which putting out Probability Sisco. Righty Oliver Drake got here on and allowed a run-scoring single, then gave technique to Emilio Pagan, who fanned Trey Mancini to finish the sport.

Stanek and Yarbrough, each 27 years outdated, have been drafted as starters. Stanek was transformed to reduction within the minors in 2016, and has served because the poster youngster for Tampa Bay’s opener technique. Over the previous two seasons, he has labored a complete of 118 innings, regardless of beginning 55 video games. Yarbrough, who was recalled from Triple-A Durham earlier than the sport, debuted final 12 months and has averaged virtually 4 innings in his 43 reduction outings. He has additionally made 10 begins.

The Rays have been the final staff to be victimized by an ideal sport, when Mariners right-hander Felix Hernandez completed the feat in opposition to them on Aug. 15, 2012. Hernandez was one in all three pitchers to toss an ideal sport that season, together with the Giants’ Matt Cain and White Sox’s Philip Humber.

The Orioles franchise has by no means been the sufferer of an ideal sport however has been no-hit 15 instances. The Rays have had three excellent video games thrown in opposition to them, tied with the Dodgers for many all time.

Tampa Bay’s mixed near-perfecto comes simply two days after the Angels threw a mixed no-hitter in opposition to the Mariners, the 13th mixed no-no in MLB historical past, on an evening they honored late teammate Tyler Skaggs on what would have been his 28th birthday.

There have been a number of mixed no-hitters throughout the identical season simply as soon as. In 1991, the Orioles and Braves each pulled off the feat.

ESPN Stats & Data contributed to this report.