Just For Starters: Breaking Down Josh Fleming's Tough Outing Sunday vs. Twins

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay left-hander Josh Fleming was hoping to add some length to his start on Sunday, but he got knocked around for five runs in the first inning and never made it out of the fourth against the Minnesota Twins.

Fleming left trailing 6-0, and it took him 77 pitches to record those 11 outs. The Rays are looking for him to step up in the rotation as that fourth piece after Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen and Corey Kluber, but that didn't happen Sunday.

Fleming has now given up 21 runs in 15 2/3 innings, though only 10 of them are earned. He has allowed 23 hits and given up six walks, nearly two runners per inning.

Here is a breakdown of Fleming's day on Sunday, and the cumulative numbers of the Rays starting staff this season:

Rays' Starters By The Numbers

• Starter: Josh Fleming
• Game: Sunday (May 1) vs. Minnesota Twins
• Decision: Pending
• Team result: Pending
• Innings pitched: 3 2/3
• Total pitches: 77
• Strikes: 53
• Runs allowed: 6
• Earned runs: 5
• Hits allowed: 5
• Walks allowed: 3
• Total strikeouts: 1
• Status upon departure: Josh Fleming left with two outs in the fourth inning after giving up a long home run to Byron Buxton. He was replaced by Robert Dugger, who was called up from Durham earlier in the day. 
  
• The skinny: It was another rough outing for Fleming, who was let down by his defense again, but did very little to stop the bleeding afterward in the five-run first inning. 

Season Totals for Rays Starters

• Starters: Shane McClanahan (5), Drew Rasmussen (4), Corey Kluber
  (4), Josh Fleming (2), Luis Patino, Tommy Romero,
• Games: 17 (5 openers, not included in numbers)
• Decisions: 3-6 thru Saturday
• Team result: 12-9 thru Saturday
• Innings pitched (avg.): 75.0/4.4
• - Season high innings: 7.0, Shane McClanahan (April 24)
• - Season low innings: 2/3, Luis Patino (April 11)
• Total pitches (avg.): 1,232/72.0
• - Season high pitches: 90, Shane McClanahan (April 30)
• - Season low pitches: 13, Luis Patino (April 11)
• Total strikeouts (avg.): 86/5.1
• - Season high strikeouts: 11, Shane McClanahan (April 30)
• Runs allowed (avg.): 39/2.3
• Earned runs (avg.): 35/2.1
• Hits allowed (avg.): 68/4.0
• - Season most hits allowed: 11, Corey Kluber (April 22)
• Walks allowed (avg.): 25/1.4
• Starter ERA: 4.20