Diego Castillo, who scored his third postseason when the Rays won 6-4 in Game 2, is a product of the Tampa Bay farm system. But most of the helpers have a story like Curtiss’ – given up by other teams and bought at a bargain price.
Fairbanks, who had two surgeries from Tommy John, had a 9.85 E.R.A. in the Majors Before the Rays acquired him in a deal with Texas in July 2019. Ryan Thompson, a right-handed sidearmer, joined the Rays in draft rule 5 of the minor league while recovering from surgery on Tommy John in the Houston farm system.
The last three aides the Dodgers deployed on Wednesday – Joe Kelly, Alex Wood and Jake McGee – would have made more than $ 22 million in a full 2020 season. The Rays postseason bullpen contains a reliever worth over $ 600,000 – veteran leftist Aaron Loup, one of five active reliefs who started spring training as a non-roster player.
Loup pulled out of all three players he faced in Game 2 with two so-called strikeouts – one on a fastball, the other on a curve – before Castillo pumped three hits over three pitches to make Chris Taylor a fan of the game close. Nick Anderson and Fairbanks had started the Bullpen season and completed nine outs before Loup. None of the helpers allowed a walk.
Anderson, who began his professional career in an independent league, fascinated the Rays with his ability to throw fastballs into the zone. Since getting him in a trade from Miami last year, Anderson has beaten 49.3 percent of all opposing players, the best ratio of any big league with at least 20 innings. He wobbled a bit in the postseason – his E.R.A. This year it’s 4.85 – but the Rays have won seven of their eight appearances.
“It almost feels like if he goes out there he’ll just knock everyone out and then go to the dugout. It’s that easy for him,” said Blake Snell, who started Game 2 but didn’t pitch enough innings. to get the win. “Having a man like him is great for our team because he comes into every situation from the fifth inning, that will be the most important point of the game.”
It shouldn’t seem strange or radical, Cash said, for a team to use their best assistants when a high leverage moment occurs. Whoever he calls, he has a stable of strike throwers in reserve – and no excuse for having found a new way to win.
