Struggling Rays reliever doesn't mince words on his shoddy outing
Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Pete Fairbanks has had a roller-coaster start to 2024.
He allowed five runs in his first four appearances but then had three consecutive clean outings. During Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Angels, however, Fairbanks entered the ninth inning and blew a 4-3 lead.
When reporters asked Fairbanks about his performance, the six-year veteran honestly evaluated himself.
"I thought I generally sucked. I don't think it was a specific suck, I thought it was an all-encompassing kind of suck," he said after giving up three runs and raising his season ERA to 9.00.
Fairbanks said he won't wallow over the disastrous outing despite his obvious frustration.
"I'm going to give myself about 16 minutes of sulk, then we'll get back on the bump and figure it out."
This isn't the first time this season that Fairbanks has received attention for his comments after a rough performance. On April 5, he called out the baseballs at Coors Field in Colorado, saying they were difficult to grab after he surrendered three walks in the ninth inning against the Rockies.
"The balls were horrible. Mark that down, all caps, HORRIBLE," Fairbanks said after the 10-7 loss.
"It's no excuse. I'd love to see the balls come out of the humidor in better shape, but there's nobody to blame but myself for not adjusting to some of the quality issues."
Tampa Bay (10-9) is tied with Toronto and Boston for last place in the American League East, partly due to the bullpen's struggles. As a unit, Tampa's relievers have the highest ERA (6.23) in baseball, and the fifth-highest batting average allowed (.265).
By contrast, Tampa's starting rotation has been solid, ranking in the top-10 in ERA (3.87) and strikeouts (102), but tied for 18th in innings pitched (95 1/3).
With ace Shane McClanahan out for the season and starters Shane Baz and Drew Rasmussen out until late May and September respectively, manager Kevin Cash will likely continue to lean his bullpen until help arrives.
If Tampa Bay is going to be a contender in a strong division, they need Fairbanks to find his groove soon.
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