Toronto Blue Jays starter Marcus Stroman pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Cobb allowed only four hits and two runs in his five innings and struck out the side in the fifth.
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From there, Cobb allowed only one hit in his remaining four innings, striking out seven batters and walking only one and leaving after 84 pitches.
“September, I feel like, is my best month”, he told the Star earlier this week. “Things were speeding up on me”. Cobb is in dire need of some innings as a pitcher who hasn’t thrown off of a Major League hill in quite a while. Compared to his numbers on five days rest (10-1 with a 1.92 ERA through 89 innings), the notion is just staggering.
In the third, the Rays got a single from Logan Forsythe, a fielding error from Devon Travis at second to allow Kevin Kiermaier to reach and an RBI groundout from Brad Miller to tie the game. “He might have looked a little rusty early, but it’s been a while since he’s been in the big leagues. He’s always been one of the better competitors and he knows how to survive”. Much has changed since his last outing in 2014 – the Rays changed managers, and much of the lineup around him has changed as well. Jays starter Marcus Stroman dropped to 9-6 with four runs scored (three earned) before two relievers gave up four more runs.
Baltimore second baseman Jonathan Schoop vowed his team is not getting frustrated about a string of tough losses over the past month.
Francisco Liriano, temporarily squeezed out of the six-man rotation, made his first relief appearance in almost four years and allowed three runs – one of them unearned – without making an out.
Despite that encouraging start, the Jays went nowhere against Cobb and a succession of relievers, starting with Danny Farquhar, who would get the win for his one shutout inning of work. Russell Martin brought Encarnacion home with an RBI single past shortstop to make it 2-0.
Eddie Gamboa, a 31-year old knuckleballer, made his major league debut and loaded the bases on a single and two walks in the eighth before departing with one out. He knows the Blue Jays all too well, having lasted only 1 2/3 innings in his only start against them, an August 10 outing in which he gave up five runs with four walks, the biggest damage coming on a three-run home run by Troy Tulowitzki. Tepera, RHP Danny Barnes, and OFs Darrell Ceciliani and Dalton Pompey were recalled from Triple-A Buffalo. In addition, the Blue Jays designated infielder Matt Dominguez for assignment, clearing a 40-man roster spot for Dermody.
As for Dermody, the 26-year-old forced his way into the Jays’ plans this season with a strong showing across three minor league levels.
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Rays: Cash said RHP Chase Whitley (Tommy John surgery) should be recalled next week and used in “more of a scripted relief role where he’ll know when he’s pitching”.
