Friday, 4 a.m.
There has been a lot of talk lately about the latest surge of the Tampa Bay Rays offense.
On the other hand, there is Mr. Zero.
Ryan Pepiot was in shutdown mode again in Thursday night's 4-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. It was the team's seventh straight win as the Rays try to get back into the AL Wild Card race.
Pepiot threw five innings of no-hit, no-run baseball against the Guardians. It looked familiar, to be honest. In Pepiot's last three starts, he's thrown 15 innings of two-hit, no run baseball. In those three starts, Pepiot has 15 strikeouts.
Pepiot has improved his record to 11-10. He was 6-9 going into September.
The Rays were wobbly in the end, with closer Pete Fairbanks giving up two home runs and putting the final score in doubt.
The Rays managed just eight hits. Three of those were by reserve outfielder Christopher Morel. Morel scored twice and drove in one.
Jake Mangum had two hits for the Rays.
Morel knocked in Junior Caminero in the first inning. In the six, Carlos Williams singled to shortstop to score Morel.
In the fourth, the Rays added two runs via small ball. Josh Lowe grounded to second base against a drawn-in infield, and Cleveland came home with the ball. Morel beat the throw, however. After that, a sacrifice bunt by Williams drove in another run.
The Rays and Guardians play again tonight at 7:35 p.m. at Steinbrenner Field. Ian Seymour will start for the Rays against Gavin Williams.