Pepiot didn’t allow an earned run over six innings of work
The Tampa Bay Rays did not play very well at all during their three game series in Cincinnati as the Reds swept them out of Ohio.
Only one position player has positive fWAR and that was Taylor Walls, who also happened to make a couple of costly errors that led to the Reds taking an early advantages. Only Walls and Chandler Simpson had a wRC+ over 100.
It was up to the pitching to try and keep the Rays competitive in the contests and our Player of the Series, Ryan Pepiot, did the best job for the team in that regard.
During Saturday’s game, Pepiot engaged Cincinnati southpaw Andrew Abbott in a fantastic pitcher’s duel.
Pepiot gave up a double in the 1st inning but only because Christopher Morel lost track of the ball and had it sail over his head and bounce over the wall for a ground-rule double. After that, Pepiot wouldn’t give up another basehit until an infield single in the 6th inning. Unfortunately, with two runners out, Austin Hays bounced a groundball to Taylor Walls at short, but instead of ending the inning, the premium defender misjudged the hop and the ball skipped past him and into the outfield allowing two runs to score.
Pepiot would finish out the inning and close out his day with six innings, allowing just two hits, while walking four and striking out six, allowing two unearned runs.
Pepiot is now in his 4th big league season and second with the Rays. Overall in 2025, Pepiot has a 3.42 ERA | 4.40 FIP with a 24.3 K% & 8.2 BB% over 126 1⁄3 IP.
DRAYSBAY PLAYER OF THE SERIES
- 1st: Kameron Misner
- 2nd: Jake Mangum
- 3rd: Brandon Lowe
- 4th: Jose Caballero
- 5th: Joe Boyle
- 6th: Shane Baz
- 7th: Chandler Simpson
- 8th: Christopher Morel
- 9th: Chandler Simpson
- 10th: Mason Englert
- 11th: Taylor Walls
- 12th: Yandy Diaz
- 13th: Travis Jankowski
- 14th: Brandon Lowe
- 15th: Drew Rasmussen
- 16th: Curtis Mead
- 17th: Junior Caminero
- 18th: Zack Littell
- 19th: Zack Littell
- 20th: Junor Caminero
- 21st: Christopher Morel
- 22nd: Yandy Diaz
- 23rd: Junior Caminero
- 24th: Brandon Lowe
- 25th: Yandy Diaz
- 26th: Shane Baz
- 27th: Brandon Lowe
- 28th: Yandy Diaz
- 29th: Joe Boyle
- 30th: Jonathan Aranda
- 31st: Taj Bradley
- 32nd: Yandy Diaz
- 33rd: Junior Caminero
- 34th: Ryan Pepiot