Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Taj Bradley was electric in his MLB debut on Wednesday night, striking out eight and helping the team win its 12th in a row to start the season — and he was optioned back to Triple-A Durham for his trouble.
The start to the 2023 MLB season has been nothing short of astounding for the Rays, who haven't showed any weakness en route to a 12-0 record. That leads the AL East by four games.
“A day after making his MLB debut, Bradley was optioned to Triple-A. The Rays' No. 1-ranked prospect fanned eight over five innings against the Red Sox on Wednesday,” wrote MLB.com on Thursday.
In a corresponding move, right-handed pitcher Braden Bristo was selected.
“Bristo gets his first callup in his Major League career after 182 games in the Minors. In four games this year with Triple-A Durham, he's allowed three runs on six hits over five innings,” per MLB.com.
The Rays are just one win shy of tying the MLB record for the best start to a season, a feat accomplished when the 1982 Atlanta Braves and 1987 Milwaukee Brewers each went 13-0 to kickoff their respective campaigns.
Taj Bradley allowed three runs across five innings while striking out eight batters, leaving the game with an 8-3 lead and coming away with the win after Pete Fairbanks shut the door to preserve a 9-7 win for the Rays over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday.
On Thursday afternoon, the Rays will have a chance to tie MLB history against those same Red Sox. Jeffrey Springs will get the start for Tampa Bay; he's been phenomenal in his first two appearances, with 19 strikeouts and not a single earned run.
The Red Sox will counter with Corey Kluber as they attempt to avoid a four-game sweep, and being on the wrong end of MLB history, at the hands of the red-hot Rays.
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