Tampa Bay Rays southpaw takes being pulled from no-hitter in stride
Jeffrey Springs kicked off his 2023 campaign on Sunday, pitching six innings of no-hit ball in the Tampa Bay Rays' 5-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Many wondered why the southpaw was not allowed a chance to try for the no-no in earnest, as his day ended after only 81 pitches.
After the win, Spring admitted that while he wanted to stay in the game, the ultimate decision was manager Kevin Cash's to make.
"I'm going to go out there until he takes the ball, and I trust them a hundred percent," Springs said via Bally Sports Sun. "Obviously, I wanted to go back out there, but again, that's not my job. My job is to pitch until he takes the ball, and he said I was done, so it is what it is."
Springs kept the Tigers off balance throughout the day. The 29-year-old left-hander threw first-pitch strikes to 18-of-19 batters on the afternoon while finishing with an impressive 12 punchouts.
The southpaw felt like he was cruising before Cash called it a day for him. Springs said that while he hopes to find himself in the same position again, he might fight harder to stay in the game next time.
"I felt like I had some quick outs, so I felt like I was in pretty good shape," Springs said. "Didn't feel too tired or anything, so I thought I was in a good spot - I'm good with it. Hopefully, there's another opportunity I can talk myself into down the road."
Originally a 30th-round pick in the 2015 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers, Springs spent the first four seasons of his career primarily working as a reliever. Last season, he earned a spot in the Rays' rotation and worked to a 9-5 record with a 2.46 ERA across 25 starts.
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