Rays 5, Nationals 0: Taj Bradley is making the leap

Bradley records 11 strikeouts and Paredes just misses cycle

The Rays took the field on Sunday looking for their fourth-consecutive series win, a win that would bring them to back to .500 as they head into the second half of the season.

To do so they needed to beat Patrick Corbin, which hasn’t been too difficult in recent years. One of Washington’s World Series heroes has had a 5.60 ERA in the five seasons since that championship run, and he’s in the last year of a six-year, $140 million contract. He’s the fifth-highest paid starting pitcher in baseball, and he is carrying the second-worst ERA among qualified pitchers.

Facing a lefty meant neither Brandon Lowe nor Josh Lowe was in the lineup, and Yandy got a day off his feet after snapping a 20-game hitting streak, slotting into the DH spot (Yandy would start a new hitting streak in today’s game).

The Rays had no issue getting to Corbin, starting in the second inning when Isaac Paredes and Jose Caballero each went deep to make it 3-0. Corbin finished with an okay day for his standards, giving up four runs over six innings. He allowed eight hits, two walks, and struck out five.

On the mound for the Rays is someone whose best years are still ahead of him. Folks, we are watching Taj Bradley figure it out in real time. Making the same leap that the best pitchers in franchise history have made in these formative years.

The young right-hander put together an electric starts, tying a career-high with 11 strikeouts over 5.2 innings pitched. He tallied 20 whiffs, half of them with his electric fastball that he was placing at the top of the zone.

He allowed just a pair of hits and a pair of walks, and but kept the Nats off the scoreboard before making way for Colin Poche, who stranded two of Bradley’s runners to end the sixth.

This is only the beginning for Taj Bradley.

The Rays made it 4-0 in the fourth on a Jose Siri sac fly, and Randy Arozarena made it 5-0 with a solo shot in the seventh off of Nats’ reliever Jordan Weems.

Jason Adam, Garrett Cleaving, and Phil Maton pitched the final three innings, keeping the Nats off the board and finishing the 5-0 win. Rays pitchers finished with 16 strikeouts.

Paredes finished just a single short of the cycle, hitting a home run, triple, and double in that order before flying out to center in his last plate appearance in the eighth.

The Rays have a day off Monday before starting a three-game set in Kansas City. The Royals have cooled down considerably after a blistering start, but are still 46-39 and hold one of the Wild Card spots the Rays are chasing after.