Skip Schumaker Explains How Cal Quantrill Adjusted Against Rays

ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Cal Quantrill and catcher Elias Diaz had to find different patterns against a Tampa Bay Rays lineup that had faced him five weeks earlier.

Schumaker spoke to Rangers Sports Network before Friday’s game at Globe Life Field, a day after Quantrill allowed 2 hits and 2 walks and struck out 5 over 7 scoreless innings in a 6-0 win.

“This late in the season, guys have seen you multiple times, and he just faced Tampa. So you got to find different ways to get guys out,” Schumaker said. “They’re obviously really good over there. Best team in the American League right now. So you have to find different patterns. And Cal and Diaz worked really well together. His fastball and split were really good too. It wasn’t just the slider. But in order to go seven innings with two hits you have to have different things and different weapons to get guys out. With no extra base hits yesterday, limited walks, he only had a couple walks in the last inning. And obviously some strikeouts too.”

“But Cal, that’s who Cal is,” Schumaker continued. “He doesn’t beat himself. He lets the guys behind him play. And he’s just been so good in August and now September that I’m not sure where we’d be without him.”

Cal Quantrill’s Second Look At the Tampa Bay Rays

Quantrill faced the Rays on July 28 at Tampa Bay. Texas won that game 4-1, and he has a 1.25 ERA over 8 outings since, 7 of them starts. His ERA in 7 career starts against the Rays is 1.77.

Tampa Bay entered Friday at 83-57, leading the American League East by 3 games over the New York Yankees. The Rays led the majors in team batting average at .261 and had scored 628 runs, an average of 4.5 per game that ranked 15th.

Texas held Tampa Bay to three hits on Thursday, matching the Rays’ season low. It was the 13th shutout of the season for the Rangers and the eighth time Tampa Bay had been blanked.

Quantrill did not allow an extra-base hit. Both walks came in his final inning. He entered the night with 68 strikeouts over 89 2/3 innings and a 1.104 WHIP.

The Rays had lost 10 straight games in Arlington entering Friday. Their last win at Globe Life Field came on June 2, 2022. They were 9-11 since Aug. 14 after an 18-4 stretch.

Cal Quantrill’s Route From Round Rock To the Texas Rangers Rotation

Quantrill improved to 7-5. He entered Thursday with a 3.01 ERA over 28 appearances, 11 of them starts, and he was named the Rangers’ Player of the Month for August after a 1.45 ERA over 31 innings. It was his first monthly award with Texas.

Texas signed Quantrill to a minor league contract on Jan. 29, and Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News first reported the deal. The Rangers reassigned him to minor league camp on March 25 and opened the season with Kumar Rocker in the fifth rotation spot.

Quantrill made six relief appearances for Triple-A Round Rock, going 1-0 with one save, a 2.70 ERA, and 11 strikeouts against 2 walks. The Rangers selected his contract on April 15 before a game against the Athletics in West Sacramento.

Injuries to Jack Leiter and Nathan Eovaldi later moved him into the rotation. Leiter is on the 60-day injured list after going 3-7 with a 5.29 ERA over 15 starts. Eovaldi is on the 15-day injured list after 22 starts and a 4.21 ERA.

Diaz was not in the organization when the season began. He started behind the plate again Friday, batting ninth.

Jakob Junis and Chase Silseth finished the combined three-hitter behind Quantrill. Junis has a 2.72 ERA over 43 appearances and Silseth has a 3.55 ERA over 15.

Texas went 2-4 on its most recent road trip, dropping two of three at Chicago and two of three at Milwaukee. Texas entered Friday at 70-71, one-half game behind Cleveland for the American League’s final wild-card spot and 2 games behind first-place Houston in the West, with 21 games left on the schedule.

Right-hander Trevor Williams opened Friday’s game with Rocker lined up to follow. First pitch was 7:05 p.m. CT with the roof closed, and Rays right-hander Nick Martinez started for Tampa Bay.