DETROIT – Drew Rasmussen has been a model of consistency and dependability for the Rays, and the right-hander delivered once again in Monday night’s 4-1 win over the Tigers at Comerica Park.
Rasmussen allowed one run on three hits over six innings with five strikeouts and no walks, and the two-time All-Star won for the seventh consecutive start. Only two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell has done better in franchise history, winning nine straight late in the 2018 season.
Rasmussen threw 71 strikes among a season-high 103 pitches and matched the longest winning streak by an MLB pitcher this season, equaling Miami's Sandy Alcantara, who won seven straight starts from June 1-July 4.
When asked what that meant to him, Rasmussen directed his answer at the team playing behind him: “It just speaks [to] the number of ways we can beat teams. Some days, we scratch out wins, 1-0. Other days, like my last outing, [a 7-6 victory over Toronto]. The offense picked me up that day. The defense picked me up that day.”
Closer Bryan Baker finished it off with his MLB-leading 38th save, extending his club record with a 27th consecutive save conversion.
Rasmussen held Detroit to three hits, adding that his cutter and changeup played central roles in his success.
Pitching exclusively from the stretch, which he said helps create repeatability in his delivery, Rasmussen didn't allow a hit until Javier Báez singled with two outs in the third.
“I was put in the bullpen with Milwaukee in 2020, and I was throwing out of the stretch the entire time there,” said Rasmussen. “So, when I got over here to Tampa and got back into the rotation, I just asked the simple question of, ‘Hey, do you guys mind if I throw out of the stretch the entire time?’ And kudos to our staff; they had no problem with it.
“The repeatability out of the windup isn’t there … and why add additional moving steps?”
Rasmussen (14-5, 2.95 ERA) retired the last eight batters he faced after wiggling out of the only trouble he got into in the fourth.
American League Rookie of the Year candidate Kevin McGonigle lashed a one-out double to left-center and advanced to third on an opposite-field single to right by cleanup hitter Dillon Dingler.
Brett Callahan brought home McGonigle with a sacrifice fly to deep center field, but Rasmussen stopped the rally in its tracks. He got Zach McKinstry to fly out to center for the third out.
“He’s done it for a while now and he’s been really, really successful,” said Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash. “I don’t think there’s any panic at all when the guys get on base. He knows that he’s got to go pitch to pitch and execute the pitch, and you move on to it and go to the next one after you release the ball.
“He controls his mindset as well as any pitcher that we have, and [we] feel really good when he’s out on the mound in those situations.”
Tampa Bay chipped away at Detroit starter Framber Valdez, scoring the leadoff hitter in three innings.
Jonathan Aranda snapped a 15-game homer drought with his 16th of the season to lead off the sixth.
“I mean, look, we’ve got to get him going," Cash said. "He knows that, and hopefully that’s a good sign of things to come because when he gets hot he can carry a huge load for quite some time. … Now, let’s build off that.”
Yandy Díaz and Ryan Vilade opened the game with consecutive singles before scoring on groundouts from Junior Caminero and Aranda, respectively.
Second baseman Jorge Mateo, who also made some nice defensive plays, doubled to open the fourth, moved to third on a sacrifice by catcher Nick Fortes and scored on Chandler Simpson's bunt single. McGonigle’s throw home was too late to catch Mateo.
Simpson also extended his hitting streak to 15 games, the longest active streak in MLB. He’s three short of his career-best 18-gamer, set June 25-July 19, 2025, and has the longest current streak in MLB.
“We’ve done that, I feel like, all season long,” Cash said. “I feel that’s who we are offensively, and congrats to Chandler. I want to see him keep going. He gets hits a lot of different ways. He’s a really good hitter that can find ways to bunt -- that’s a tough bunt that he put down off Framber. So, a special player.”