Chris Archer's strong start makes case for inclusion among MLB's top young pitchers
MIAMI -- Chris Archer wants to be recognized as one of the major league's top young arms. The 26-year-old showed Saturday why he should be part of the conversation.
The Tampa Bay Rays starter pitched one of the best games in his young career, allowing just two baserunners while striking out five in seven innings of a 2-0 victory over the Miami Marlins.
"I hope that people start putting me in the conversation of Matt Harvey and Jose Fernandez, honestly. I am capable of that," Archer said. "I haven't done it on a consistent basis as they have, but I am fully capable. The stuff is comparable. Hopefully, my name is mentioned with those guys soon."
Saturday's effort could be the icebreaker.
Archer retired the first 10 batters until Miami's Christian Yelich's line drive scuffed up his pitching line in the fourth inning.
"Every time I go out, I am trying to throw a no-hitter," Archer said. "I'm trying to execute every single pitch I throw to the point to where they don't get a hit. Tonight I was as close to that as I've ever been."
The righty retired another six before walking pinch hitter Ichiro Suzuki in the sixth inning. But that was more of a strategic decision in preserving a 1-0 game than a flawed performance.
"We know Ichiro is going to be aggressive early," Rays catcher Bobby Wilson said. "We didn't want to give him a cookie. I told [Archer], 'Let's just make sure we're not giving him something good to hit.' "
Archer didn't, yet every pitch to the veteran skimmed the strike zone.
"I threw some good pitches to Ichiro. He laid off because he's a vet," Archer said. "And the umpire, his zone was true. If it was two inches off the plate, he wasn't calling it.
"I was comfortable where I was at even though I walked [Ichiro] and got to 3-2 on Dee [Gordon]. I was still 100 percent comfortable where I was because my misses weren't huge misses."
When Archer began his pre-game bullpen session, Wilson said the starter's stuff wasn't "as crisp as you'd like it to be." But with five or 10 pitches left, Wilson said everything clicked.
Wilson told him, "Go hard."
Archer did.
"It was a good mix of everything," Wilson said. "He threw some really good sliders. His last changeup to [Michael] Morse was one of the better ones I've seen him throw."
The pitch Wilson is talking about -- Archer's 82nd of the night -- hit 89 miles per hour. On the next toss, Archer topped out a fastball at 98.
"Everything felt great, and whenever you are locating your fastball, it makes your secondary stuff twice as good," Archer said.
But for the second straight start, manager Kevin Cash pulled the right-hander before he reached the 90-pitch mark.
Though Archer previously expressed disappointment in being limited, he's resigned himself the decisions out of his control despite preparing himself "to throw 115 pitches a night.
"I realize that's not going to happen, but that's what I have prepared my body to do."
But Archer also realizes any discussion involving New York's Harvey or Miami's Fernandez is one that brings up the question of overextension and season-ending Tommy John surgery.
"I've kind of eliminated expectations," Archer said. "I just trust our management. If 84 is the number, that's what it is. I'm just trying to maximize what I can get."
Saturday night, Archer did exactly that to get the conversation started.
You can follow Erin Brown on Twitter @rinkside or email her at erinbrownfla@gmail.com.
