SEATTLE -- Bryan Baker likely won’t be slanting his hat or shooting off an imaginary arrow into the sky any time soon like one of his predecessors out of the bullpen. But “Mr. Consistency,” as Kevin Kelly calls him, is becoming one of the most dominant closers in MLB.
Saturday’s griddy 3-2 win over the Mariners was just another example for the 31-year-old, as he surpassed former Rays closer Fernando Rodney by converting a team-record 23 straight saves. Rodney secured 22 consecutive saves back in 2012.
Baker’s MLB-leading 34th save helped close out the Rays’ fifth straight win as they became the first AL team to reach 70 wins and spoiled Seattle’s 50th anniversary celebratory night.
“The guys were joking around saying I gotta wear the slanted hat next time out,” Baker said with a smile. “So we'll see if I can pull that off. I'm not sure.”
On a bullpen day after Griffin Jax was unexpectedly scratched just hours before first pitch with right elbow discomfort, the Rays deployed seven relievers with Casey Legumuna getting the nod, and the group yielded only two solo shots from Josh Naylor.
Starter or not, the Rays continue to find ways to win.
“Outstanding effort by all of them,” manager Kevin Cash said.
Kelly and Baker worked the eighth and ninth, respectively, and both allowed a leadoff single before each induced a double play to end the frame.
The tandem is possibly the most potent in baseball. Kelly hasn’t allowed a run since July 7 and has given up just two hits in that span. Baker yielded a solo shot to Julio Rodríguez in Friday’s 2-1 win, which was the first run he allowed since June 24.
Rodríguez again got the best of Baker with a leadoff single, but forced Naylor to line out to center and then Dominic Canzone into a 3-6-1 double play.
Baker lowered his ERA to 1.55, Kelly to 2.00.
“Might be the grittiest win I've been a part of,” Kelly said.
It wasn’t long ago the Rays had to deploy a good chunk of their ‘pen after Freddy Peralta’s shaky first start as a Ray on Wednesday. Acquired from the Mets at the Trade Deadline, Peralta lasted only 3 2/3 innings after yielding seven runs on nine hits and was in line for the loss.
But the arms of Cam Booser, Legumina, Steven Matz, Kelly, Garrett Cleavinger and Baker held the line for a 9-7 win over the Rockies.
In Seattle, they stole the show once again, proving the versatility and depth in the bullpen with Legumina, Booser, Matz, Cleavinger, Tyler Wells, Kelly and Baker securing the win on its unexpected bullpen day.
“It's not easy to do. I think we pieced it together really well,” said Baker, who earned his first All-Star nod this season. “I think Cash did a good job of knowing when to pull the trigger on the next guy, and everybody just did their part. It's pretty amazing to see.”
Because of the dominance the bullpen provided, the Rays didn’t have to produce much offensively for the second straight night. Richie Palacios had two hits, including a decisive two-out, two-run single in the sixth to put the Rays up 3-1.
After Naylor hit a homer of Booser in the second, Victor Mesa Jr. tied the game 1-1 with a 412-foot homer into right field in the fourth.
“We are ready for those types of games and whatever games that come at that moment,” Mesa Jr. said.