Blake Snell hated being pulled and then the Rays collapsed (Video)
By John Buhler
Blake Snell was not happy about being pulled in the fifth inning by Kevin Cash.
Maybe Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash regrets pulling ace Blake Snell in the fifth inning?
Up 3-2 in the best-of-seven 2020 ALCS over the Houston Astros, the Rays had a 1-0 lead in Game 6 at the top of the fifth inning before Cash removed Snell from the game. The AL Cy Young award winner had not allowed a run and had only thrown 82 pitches. Snell’s reaction was out of pure frustration, as he could not believe his skipper would do that to him.
Well, Snell was right.
Kevin Cash took Blake Snell out of the game at 82 pitches with a shutout going and you could read Snell’s lips coming off the mound saying, “Oh my god, man. The fuck are we doing?” He was right.
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) October 17, 2020
Blake Snell is not happy about being taken out pic.twitter.com/GutDNWA8h1
— Baseball Quotes (@BaseballQuotes1) October 16, 2020
Snell seeing ghosts out there pic.twitter.com/qOFZIiTEoP
— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) October 17, 2020
Blake Snell has now gone 19 straight starts without going 6 IP, the longest active streak in MLB among non-openers (regular season and playoffs).
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 16, 2020
The last time Snell completed 6 innings was July 21, 2019. pic.twitter.com/cTDI3vgbn3
This boneheaded maneuver by Kevin Cash may cost the Rays the AL pennant.
We’ve seen a team down 0-3 in an ALCS rattle off four in a row and get to the World Series. The 2004 Boston Red Sox did the impossible overcoming an 0-3 deficit to beat the arch-rival New York Yankees in the ALCS. Boston went on to win its first World Series championship in 86 years over the St. Louis Cardinals. Is there a chance history repeats itself in the American League?
Houston would put across four runs in the top of the fifth and added a fifth score in the top of the sixth to make it 5-1, Astros. That lead stretched to 7-1 in the top of the seventh. Everybody in the United States of America is pulling for the Rays to beat the Astros either tonight or tomorrow so the team that cheated to win the 2017 World Series by banging on trash cans doesn’t get back to the Fall Classic for the third time in four years.
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As for Snell, this is now 19 starts in a row the southpaw hasn’t gone six innings. If the Rays don’t advance to the 2020 World Series, Snell will have made it an entire baseball season without registering a traditional quality start. This is why when you have the Astros down, you do not let up on the gas and show them any mercy. Win No. 4 in the 2020 ALCS may not come for Tampa Bay…
The Rays either need a rally tonight or play a great game tomorrow to avoid huge embarrassment.