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Brendan McKay set a Tampa Bay Rays franchise record by sitting down the first 16 hitters he faced during his Major League debut on Saturday. McKay picked up the W by allowing a single hit (a bloop single) and a single walk over six innings against the powerful Texas Rangers lineup.
“It was fun to watch,” said Rays manager Kevin Cash. “The way he carried himself, it was kind of unflappable. You would not have thought, if you just picked up and turned on the TV, that that was his first Major League start. He picked us up in a big way.”
Here are the highlights:
McKay is scheduled to pitch again against the Yankees on Thursday. After that, the Rays will make a decision on whether to keep him in the big leagues or send him back down to Triple-A Durham. There has been no word on whether or not they plan on letting McKay hit during his first time up in the show.
Congrats to Brendan on a near-perfect start to what should be a lengthy and prosperous Major League career.