MLB wrap: Brendan McKay was 'fun to watch' in debut with Rays

Alexis Mansanarez

MLB wrap: Brendan McKay was 'fun to watch' in debut with Rays image

Brendan McKay made one impressive MLB debut Saturday.

He nearly had a perfect outing before surrendering a hit in his sixth and final inning. But still the fourth-overall selection in the 2017 draft showed just why the Rays sought him out.

The lefty allowed the one hit, a walk and struck out three in the Rays' eventual 5-2 win over the Rangers.

"It was fun to watch,'' Rays manager Kevin Cash said, via ESPN. "Certainly set a pretty high bar for himself. Just the way he carried himself, it was kind of unflappable.''

The Rays took an early lead with three runs in the second inning and then added two more in the seventh.

The Rangers were held scoreless until the final two frames where they brought in their only two runs — on a wild pitch and a ground out.

Travis d'Arnaud led Tampa Bay's offensive efforts going 2 for 3 at the plate with one RBI. Avisail Garcia (2), Willy Adames (1) and Joey Wendle (1) all pitched in RBIs as well.

Studs of the Night

Renato Núñez led the way for the Orioles, which became the first team in MLB history to have back-to-back shutouts and win by 13-or-more runs in each game. Núñez was 2 for 3 at the plate with two home runs and four RBIs. Andrew Cashner also threw seven innings of three-hit ball to help Baltimore record the victory.

Danny Jansen had yet to hit a home run in his own ballpark but he finally came through in a big way. The catcher hit the game-winning homer in the bottom of the ninth at the Rogers Centre to lift Toronto over Kansas City, 7-5.

It was a hitter's day Saturday as the bats continued to fly around the league, even for the struggling Tigers. Miguel Cabrera had three hits and three RBIs to help snap Detroit's eight-game losing skid with a 7-5 win over Washington.

Duds of the Night

Seth Lugo had a rough 1 2/3 innings against the Braves. The Mets righty allowed back-to-back home runs in the team's 5-4 loss. He ended up getting pulled in favor of Brooks Pounders but was ultimately tagged with the loss — his second of the season.

It seems like the hot hitting skipped the White Sox. Chicago needed some offense against the Twins but didn't get it from James McCann and Zack Collins who both finished 0 for 4 in their 10-3 loss.

Highlights

Did you miss the bench-clearing moment in the Cubs-Reds game? We've got you covered. Both teams ran onto the diamond after Yasiel Puig was hit by a pitch and madness ensued.

It was hard to pick just one of the six total home runs hit in the London Series that pitted famed rivals together, but this two-run dinger by Aaron Judge is a worthy highlight. The Yankees went on to beat the Red Sox 17-13 across the pond.

What's Next?

Yankees (53-28) at Red Sox (44-39), 10 a.m. ET — It seems like you don't want to miss this series. London has not only provided some entertainment so far but also some early baseball. The first pitch in the next game between the Yankees and Red Sox will pair well with a morning coffee. New York will send Stephen Tarpley (0-0, 6.48 ERA) to the mound while Boston will counter with Eduardo Rodriguez (8-4, 4.87).

 

Alexis Mansanarez