Rookie Brent Abernathy came up with big offensive and defensive plays in the sixth inning Saturday, breaking up Darren Oliver's perfect game and the Devil Rays' four-game losing streak. The Rays starter worked seven strong innings before leaving a 1-1 tie. But you give a team a chance to win 30 times, you're gonna win 20 games. Unfortunately, I've had some ballgames when I'm out of the game in the first or second inning.
Good pitchers get wins because they stick around longer than average pitchers.
Besides, it could have been worse. But he mowed down the first 16 Rays in order, striking out five. After Flaherty struck out leading off the Tampa Bay sixth, Abernathy hit Oliver's first pitch over the left field wall. Flaherty's home run also came on the first pitch with one out in the eighth. The home runs might not have mattered if Abernathy had not come up with an excellent defensive play behind second base in the sixth.