Friday, 3:30 a.m.
It starts, as usual, with Shane McClanahan. And the realization that if the Tampa Bay Rays are going to be good, it is because McClanahan will be, too.
McClanahan led the Rays to an impressive start Thursday, throwing six shutout innings in the team's 4-0 victory over Detroit.
McClanahan, who won 12 games a year ago, showed again why he is the ace of his team's staff. He struck out six.
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For the Rays, it was the blueprint of how the team expects to win this season: Good starting pitching, a shutdown bullpen, occasional power and good defense. Both Josse Siri and Wander Franco homered for the Ray, who opened up the game late.
It was 1-0 after six innings, and the Rays had just one hit. However, run-scoring hits by Randy Arozarena and Luke Raley.
The defensive play of the game was by Manuel Margot, who had a diving catch in these seventh.
"I thought he (McClanahan) threw a couple of errant fastballs up," Rays' manager Kevin Cash said "You can expect that on Opening Day. He was able to harness that and come back in the zone. He gave us a s tart we’ll never complain about. \We’ll sign up for that every night."
The Rays play the Tigers again on Saturday night at 4:05 p.m. at Tropicana Field. Zac Elfin will start for the Rays against Spencer Turnbull.