Guardians pitcher Triston McKenzie shuts down Tampa Bay in Game Two of the American League Wild Card Series.
A pitcher's first postseason start is always going to be memorable. That can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how the game goes. Triston McKenzie's first playoff start will certainly be remembered for all of the good reasons after he shut down the Rays.
McKenzie's performance against the Rays was pretty much what we saw from him all season. Long starts combined with a nasty curveball that gave batters difficulty throughout.
Obviously, Shane Bieber is going to be your game-one starter with how he's pitched recently. But, McKenzie is a close second and probably the best game-two option a team can go with because of how consistent he was in the regular season.
That consistent continued into the playoffs as he finished with ...
He finished up the day He didn't give up a hit until the fifth inning.
McKenzie joins an elite list of Cleveland pitchers who have pitched at least six innings, given up one or fewer earned runs, and struck out eight or more batters in a playoff game. The other pitchers (via @CLE_STATS) are:
- Shane Bieber (2022)
- Trevor Bauer (2022)
- Corey Kluber (2016)
- Bortolo Colon (2001)
- Orel Hershier (1995)
What an incredible performance for the young Cleveland pitcher who has established himself as one of baseball's young best pitchers.
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