The roots of Legend of Jake Mangum, Tampa Bay Ray’s early seasonal star, were planted in the right field at the spring training home in the New York Yankees on Monday night.
After a career evening, the 29-year-old beginner will probably be back in the lineup Tuesday night when Rays hosted the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second competition in their three-game series.
In just his second career game, the Switch-Länte Mangum 4-for-4 went with a double, two RBI, one run and two stolen bases in Tampa Bay’s 6-1 victory on Monday.
“My high school was (Pirates Infielder) Adam Frazier and looked at him play at Mississippi State,” said Mangum, who followed in Frazier’s footsteps and went to Starkville, where he set a southeastern conference record with 383 career hits. “Being able to take the field against him was fantastic. Tonight was incredible.”
Right trader Shane Baz’s journey has taken some difficult turns, but he finally seems to be fit and will make his first season start on Tuesday.
Baz had Tommy John operation in September 2022 and missed the entire next season. The native in the Houston area made 14 starts in 2024 and turned their heads with a high 90’s fast ball.
He finished 4-3 with a 3.06 era and held a blow to a .200 slag average over 79 1/3 rounds when they succeeded only 57 hits.
Baz played a deadly arsenal and recorded 69 strikes while he released 27 walks and beat four beats on his way to a 1.06 whip.
“Mass of talent,” said Ray’s manager Kevin Cash when Baz was called last summer. “When you miss two years it is something. How much does it count for? I hope our expectations are not for him to go out and be in mid -season. … He may do it – he is so talented.”
Baz has never met the pirates, who chose him No. 12 in total in 2017.
Pittsburgh became the first club to lose its first three matches on Walk-off fashion since 1924 Pirates, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Andrew McCutchen said that the small details prevented the club from leaving South Florida with a 4-0 record instead of 1-3.
“Lock it in and do the little things right,” McCutchen said. “I continue to turn it on because if you don’t, it is the situation and that’s what can happen. This is the result when you don’t do the little things right.”
On Monday, Pittsburgh knocked out ten times, did not record a walk and had only four hits against a combination of Tampa Bay starter Drew Rasmussen and Lighter Hunter Bigge, Mason Englert and Manny Rodriguez.
Down 5-0, Frazier had an RBI single in the eighth round to get the Endy Rodriguez point and prevent an ongoing suspension.
Pittsburgh did not announce a starting jug for Tuesday’s game. The team’s bull was already taxed after the series in Miami-Saturday’s game went 12 rounds and Carmen Mlodzinski had a short 3 2/3-entry start on Monday.
Pirate’s manager Derek Shelton announced that the right hand Mitch Keller will get the home opener start on Friday against Yankees.
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