As we turn the page to September, we must take a moment to acknowledge the performance of these AL East leading Rays, and to do so we asked in this week’s poll who the top performer was in August.
The choice was a difficult one! Among the five players suggested, only reliever Kevin Kelly did not accumulate any votes.
Baker held a 1.54 ERA across 12 appearances and 11⅔ innings in August, converting all nine of his save opportunities, allowed just eight hits and two walks while striking out 15, and kept
the damage limited even on the rare nights things got interesting. Those nine saves helped push his season total to an MLB-leading 39 by the end of the month, and they extended a franchise-record consecutive saves streak that had already blown past Fernando Rodney’s mark earlier in August. He also, notably, pitched three nights in a row toward the end of the month, a remarkable feat of availability.
Can Baker and the Rays hold their own down the stretch? Baker was pulled from his most recent pitching performance due to illness, and Shane McClanahan and Garrett Cleavinger both hit the injured list, but the Rays have promoted Ty Johnson, adding a fresh face and new look.
If you believe in the Rays bullpen, you can put some wagers down on that belief through our friends at FanDuel who sponsors these polls.
Rays Up!
