Ryan Pepiot set a new personal record by striking out 11 batters in six innings without allowing any runs, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.
Pepiot, who joined the Rays from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a trade, had struggled in his first outing for Tampa Bay but showed significant improvement against the Rockies.
He threw a high number of strikes and effectively controlled the Colorado hitters throughout the game. Pepiot managed to retire several batters in a row and finished strong with two strikeouts in the final inning.
The Rays provided support for Pepiot with two runs in the second inning and another run in the third. Despite a potential scoring opportunity being cut short by a great defensive play from Charlie Blackmon, the Rays held on to secure the win.
Colorado’s Dakota Hudson pitched well but couldn’t prevent the Rays from scoring enough runs to secure the victory. Austin Shenton, who recently made his major league debut, played a key role with two hits and an RBI, including his first major league hit.
It was a satisfying win for the Rays, with Pepiot’s standout performance contributing significantly to their success.