McClanahan (6 K's, 1 R) bolsters case to start All-Star Game

ST. PETERSBURG -- Rays manager Kevin Cash has said quite a few times this week that he can't imagine anybody pitching better than Shane McClanahan has this season, and he can't recall seeing a better first-half run on the mound.

But if anybody needed further convincing that McClanahan deserves to start for the American League in his first career All-Star Game, the Rays' ace made his case in a 4-1 win over the Red Sox on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.

McClanahan punctuated his incredible first half and earned his 10th win by holding Boston's lineup to one run on three hits while striking out six over 6 1/3 innings. The dazzling performance lowered the lefty's ERA to 1.71, the lowest mark by a qualified starter in Rays history and the lowest by an AL starter at the break since Clay Buchholz (also 1.71) in 2013.

McClanahan ended the night with the best ERA, the most strikeouts (147), the lowest WHIP (0.80), the second-lowest opponents' average (.176) and the second-best strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.74) in the Majors. For his teammates, there's no doubt his next start should come Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.

"I don't see any reason why he shouldn't," said Rays shortstop Taylor Walls, who homered in the fourth inning to back McClanahan's outing. "There's no guy out there in the American League that should start over him."

Added outfielder Josh Lowe: "That is the All-Star starter, in my opinion. No reason he doesn't deserve to get that nod there. He's been incredible for us all year long."

"You know, the results and the stats," first baseman Ji-Man Choi said through interpreter Daniel Park. "Speaks for itself."

One person who's not too worked up about whether he pitches the first or second inning against the National League? McClanahan himself.

"I'm just honored to go. It's an honor for me to be even included in that conversation," McClanahan said. "So whether I get the ball or not, I feel really lucky to be there."

McClanahan has already pitched his way into elite company. Only four pitchers in the AL/NL since 1933 have entered the All-Star break with McClanahan's credentials: At least 10 wins and 147 strikeouts with a 1.71 ERA or lower. Those four were Dwight Gooden in 1985, Vida Blue in '71, Luis Tiant in '68 and Sandy Koufax in '66. Blue, Tiant and Koufax started the Midsummer Classic -- Gooden pitched a shutout the Sunday before the Midsummer Classic -- while Gooden, Blue and Koufax eventually won the Cy Young Award.

McClanahan's dominance has become so routine, it's almost expected -- but never taken for granted -- in Tampa Bay's clubhouse.

"You kind of know what you're going to get out of every single outing," Thursday starter Drew Rasmussen said, "and what you're going to get out of him seems to be greatness."

Wednesday night brought more of the same. It was McClanahan's club-record 12th straight start of at least six innings with two earned runs or fewer allowed, tied with Joe Musgrove for the longest such streak in the Majors this season. It was the 13th straight time he allowed two earned runs or fewer. Since May 11, he's 8-1 with a 1.15 ERA.

"I think it's the best first half of a starting pitcher performance that I've witnessed," Cash said.

The only reason McClanahan's night ended after throwing 85 pitches was the Rays' mindfulness of his season-long workload. The lone mark against him came in the fifth inning, when he defused a first-and-third, nobody-out jam with a run-scoring double-play grounder. He then quickly struck out Bobby Dalbec on three pitches, all whiffs.

"The guy can throw 100 [mph] when he gets mad, then he throws a changeup right off of that and it looks the same," Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts said. "It's something very impressive to face."

Indeed, it's one thing to have a four-pitch arsenal, as McClanahan does. But he's reached a different level entirely because he possesses four plus pitches that seem to be there whenever he needs them every single time out. That was the case as he kept the Sox off-balance with a balanced pitch mix of 24 fastballs, 24 changeups, 21 curveballs and 16 sliders.

McClanahan generated 18 swinging strikes, including seven each with his changeup (on 13 swings) and his slider (on only 10 swings). He all but eliminated the hard contact he allowed, too, as Boston only produced two hard-hit balls against him: Dalbec's lineout to center in the third inning and Rafael Devers' double to right in the fourth.

"Every night he's out there, I feel like we have an extremely good chance of winning. Just put up a few runs, and you know he's going to do what he does," Walls said. "That's our goal, is just try to get a few early, let him settle in and be comfortable and just do what he's been doing all year."

And what the Rays hope he gets a chance to do in the first inning of the All-Star Game.