Zach Eflin has dominated at Tropicana Field this season
During the 2023 campaign, Zach Eflin has been at his best when pitching at Tropicana Field. That continued on Friday night with the Rays needing a win against the red-hot Baltimore Orioles. In front of a crowd of just over 19,000 the veteran did not disappoint.
As Eflin earned his 11th win of the season, he struck out eight batters in seven scoreless innings of work. The Orioles hitters had no answers for the Rays righthander, who allowed one extra-base hit. His stellar performance did not go unnoticed by manager Kevin Cash.
“That’s a big, tall order, and he did it as well as he could,” Cash said. “That was a big start for us.”
Friday’s start marked the 11th time this season that Eflin had allowed three runs or fewer at home. In 68.2 innings of work this season at the Trop, the Orlando native has allowed 16 earned runs. Although all his pitches were working against the Orioles, Eflin credited much of his success to his sinker.
“I had good command going inside on lefties with my sinker. It was nice to get back on track. I was able to attack guys and trust my stuff. It’s fun to pitch here,” Eflin said.
Through his first 19 starts as a Ray, Eflin has taken his game to another level. He is on pace to set career highs in strikeouts and wins. After signing the largest free agent deal in franchise history in December, Eflin has shown why the Rays believed him. If the season ended today, his 3.36 ERA would be the lowest of his career. He is also on the verge of making history.
So far this season, nine of Eflin’s 11 wins have come at home. That is the second most in franchise history in a single season trailing only Blake Snell. He won 10 games at the Trop during the 2018 campaign.
While Eflin is on the verge of rewriting the franchise record books, his focus is on putting the Rays in the best position to win as his value grows.
“He’s a leader,” said Cash. “They say that about Gerrit Cole to. Those good pitchers do a lot for their club every fifth day. Eflin leads on the mound off the mound; his presence, character, and how much he helps us win games.”
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