Pete Fairbanks is — for the Rays — an expensive commodity, a face of the franchise, and a player the Rays need to be performing well if they’re going to have a prayer of the playoffs.
Against the Nationals he was all that and more, pitching two full innings across the first and third game of the series with just two hits allowed and picking up two strikeouts in each outing.
On Friday night that included some perseverance, after getting James Wood out on a called strike three and a ground out, Fairbanks
allowed a single and a double to bring up the tying run in Riley Adams, but Fairbanks was up to the challenge, getting him swinging on a fastball high and away that had to have looked promising.
On Sunday afternoon Fairbanks got some luck after a tag play went the Rays way following a challenge, otherwise he struck out Luis Garcia Jr and former first rounder Brady House swinging on a remarkably similar pitch!
Yet another lesson that it pays to read your scouting reports…
DRAYSBAY PLAYER OF THE SERIES
- 1st: Kameron Misner
- 2nd: Jake Mangum
- 3rd: Brandon Lowe
- 4th: Jose Caballero
- 5th: Joe Boyle
- 6th: Shane Baz
- 7th: Chandler Simpson
- 8th: Christopher Morel
- 9th: Chandler Simpson
- 10th: Mason Englert
- 11th: Taylor Walls
- 12th: Yandy Diaz
- 13th: Travis Jankowski
- 14th: Brandon Lowe
- 15th: Drew Rasmussen
- 16th: Curtis Mead
- 17th: Junior Caminero
- 18th: Zack Littell
- 19th: Zack Littell
- 20th: Junor Caminero
- 21st: Christopher Morel
- 22nd: Yandy Diaz
- 23rd: Junior Caminero
- 24th: Brandon Lowe
- 25th: Yandy Diaz
- 26th: Shane Baz
- 27th: Brandon Lowe
- 28th: Yandy Diaz
- 29th: Joe Boyle
- 30th: Jonathan Aranda
- 31st: Taj Bradley
- 32nd: Yandy Diaz
- 33rd: Junior Caminero
- 34th: Ryan Pepiot
- 35th: Jonathan Aranda
- 36th: Yandy Diaz
- 37th: Junior Caminero
- 38th: Drew Rasmussen
- 39th: Brandon Lowe
- 40th: Pete Fairbanks
- 41st: Bob Seymour
- 42nd: Carson Williams
- 43rd: Yandy Diaz
- 44th: Pete Fairbanks