Just For Starters: Breaking Down Drew Rasmussen's Start vs. Blue Jays

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For the fourth straight outing, Tampa Bay right-hander Drew Rasmussen was exceptional on Friday night. He allowed just one run, and in his last four starts, he has allowed just a total of three runs and 11 hits.

He left with a 2-1 lead, getting a surprisingly early hook from Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash. Rasmussen had thrown only 78 pitches when he was removed with two outs in the sixth inning.

Here's what Rasmussen did Friday night, along with the cumulative numbers of the starters this season:

Rays' Starters By The Numbers

• Starter: Drew Rasmussen
• Game: Friday (May 13) at Seattle Mariners
• Decision: None
• Team result: Pending
• Innings pitched: 5 2/3
• Total pitches: 78
• Strikes: 51
• Runs allowed: 1
• Earned runs: 1
• Hits allowed: 3
• Walks allowed: 1
• Total strikeouts: 1
• Status upon departure: Drew Rasmussen left with two outs in the sixth inning. He got the first two outs, but then allowed an infield single and a walk. Vladmir Guerrero singled to right to drive in a run to make it 2-1 Rays. He was replaced by Ryan Thompson, who got the final out of the inning. 
  
• The skinny: Rasmussen was outstanding for the fourth straight start. He had just the one strikeout, but he was getting a lot of soft contact instead, gettin a lot of easy ground ball outs. I was a little surprised he got the hook when he did, because he was pitching well and the count wasn't very high. 

Season Totals for Rays Starters

• Starters: Shane McClanahan (7), Drew Rasmussen (7), Corey Kluber
  (6), Josh Fleming (2), Ryan Yarbrough (2), Jeffrey Springs, Luis Patino, Tommy Romero,
• Games: 27 (6 openers, not included in numbers)
• Decisions: 8-9 thru Wednesday
• Team result: 19-13 thru Wednesday
• Innings pitched (avg.): 123.1/4.57
• - Season high innings: 7.0, Shane McClanahan (April 24, May 11)
• - Season low innings: 2/3, Luis Patino (April 11)
• Total pitches (avg.): 1,976/73.9
• - Season high pitches: 100, Shane McClanahan (May 11)
• - Season low pitches: 13, Luis Patino (April 11)
• Total strikeouts (avg.): 128/4.74
• - Season high strikeouts: 11, Shane McClanahan (April 30, May 11)
• Runs allowed (avg.): 60/2.3
• Earned runs (avg.): 56/2.1
• Hits allowed (avg.): 110/4.07
• - Season most hits allowed: 11, Corey Kluber (April 22, May 10)
• Walks allowed (avg.): 36/1.3
• Starter ERA: 4.09