Blake Snell's Struggles Are Coming at the Worst Time for Tampa
By Brendan Azoff
When Blake Snell took the mound Tuesday night against the Minnesota Twins, he was hoping for a bounce-back performance against the best team in the American League.
Instead, the results remained the same, as for the third straight game, he failed to get out of the fourth inning. After lasting just 3.1 innings, the reigning Cy Young winner was gone, exiting the field having allowed seven runs.
Blake Snell, in his Cy Young season last year, did not give up more than five runs in a start. The Twins scored seven runs off him in 3 1/3 innings.
— Betsy Helfand (@betsyhelfand) June 26, 2019
Snell's stat line over the last three games is shocking, as the lefty has thrown 7.0 innings, allowing 16 runs, striking out seven, and walking nine. He seems to be straying away from his fastball, leaning on secondary pitches, which have just not been there for him.
These struggles could not have come at a worse time, either, as the Rays, who were once sitting atop the American League East, will now be six games back of the Yankees entering play on Wednesday. The Rays' ace has become their Achilles heel, and it has cost them significant ground in the playoff race.
For the year teams are hitting .144 this year against the #Rays Blake Snell when he gets to a 2-strike count.
— Neil Solondz (@neilsolondz) June 26, 2019
Tonight the Twins are 5-for-9 through 3 innings when getting to two strikes.
The Rays are clinging to a two-game lead in the wild card race, but if Snell doesn't fix his problems soon, Tampa will be in big trouble in terms of their playoff position, especially after a setback for Tyler Glasnow.
Snell's now under the gun to right this wrong. Because openers can't go seven days a week, after all.