Shane McClanahan was solid once again Tuesday night in leading the Tampa Bay Rays to their 11th consecutive win to open the season. However, it was one specific pitch among his 95 tosses on the night that had social media buzzing.
Facing Boston’s Rob Refsnyder, McClanahan unleashed a vicious 88 mph changeup that broke so hard out of the zone it left the center fielder swinging at absolute air.
Tampa Bay’s ace, who owns a stellar 1.59 ERA, allowed just one run and two hits over five-plus innings, while striking out nine. The hard-throwing left-hander is now tied for the MLB lead with three victories.
Take a look at McClanahan’s breaking ball that left Refsnyder flummoxed below.
Shane McClanahan, Disgusting 88mph Changeup. 🤮
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 11, 2023
19" of run pic.twitter.com/ofbcorZBaQ
The Rays, who were -280 betting favorites on Tuesday, have now amazingly covered the run line in every game this season after beating the Red Sox, 7-2. Bettors need to look no further than an explosive offense that leads the majors with 83 runs scored.
Tampa Bay, which hit four home runs Tuesday, saw their season team total rise to 29, matching the all-time MLB record through 11 games set by the 2000 St. Louis Cardinals.
