Resurgent Robbie Ray continues to build trade case in Giants win over Braves
SAN FRANCISCO — Attention, pitching-starved playoff contenders: There’s a left-handed former Cy Young Award winner in San Francisco who just went toe-to-toe with Chris Sale.It’s not just Robbie Ray’s effort Sunday in the Giants’ 3-2 win over the Braves and their own former Cy Young Award winner that should get phones ringing in the Giants’ front office.The way Ray has pitched lately, he could be the best arm available at the Aug.3 deadline.Continuing to rely more and more on his two-seamer to generate weak, early contact, Ray turned in his most efficient outing yet, needing only 95 pitches to complete his second straight start of eight innings.
Almost entirely forgoing the four-seam fastball he built his career on, Ray struck out only two batters but allowed only four hits — none until Matt Olson singled to lead off the fifth — and was at only 77 pitches through seven scoreless frames.He needed 18 to make it out of his last and most laborious inning, finally allowing Atlanta to crack the scoreboard only after an error from Matt Chapman put the leadoff man on.Ray, who used to throw his four-seamer on almost half his pitches, unleashed it only seven times, opposed to 36 sinkers — while mixing in a changeup and a slider — a transformation that can be traced back to the start of his recent turnaround.On May 24, Ray walked a career-worst seven batters while allowing four runs over four innings, ballooning his ERA to a season-high 4.60.After his latest outing, that mark is down to 3.39.Surely, the Giants will remind any team that calls of Ray’s dominance of late — back-to-back starts of eight innings with a 1.46 ERA the last six times he’s taken the mound.
On an expiring contract, that’s not your average economy rental from Hertz — more like a premium upgrade.Sale struck out 10 but was out of the game after six innings having exhausted 94 pitches.He wasn’t able to recover from a single from Luis Arraez to lead off the sixth that was foll...