Rays' Archer stellar in pitchers' duel with M's Hernandez
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners played Wednesday afternoon at Tropicana Field, but there was no need to move the spotlight from the mound. Chris Archer and Felix Hernandez held the pitching equivalent of a game of "H-O-R-S-E" filled with trick shots, with one right-hander's mastery matched by the other's wizardry for eight captivating innings.
It seems strange to declare either a loser, even with the Mariners beating the Rays 3-0 with a monstrous 430-foot three-run home run from Nelson Cruz off reliever Brad Boxberger splashing into the Ray Tank beyond center field in the top of the ninth inning. So let's call this delicious showdown a draw, the development more evidence that shows how Archer has become the de facto ace for a rotation held together by Elmer's glue and baling wire.
"This was an ideal outing for me," Archer said. "I just felt really good, and then our defense played great. So yep, this is going to be a game where I will probably watch, re-watch and say, 'All right. What was my demeanor? What was I doing?' Because that's ultimately what I strive to do every single night."
Both pitching lines tell tales of superior mental and physical command. Archer allowed two hits in eight innings and struck out 12, matching a career-high total set against the Texas Rangers on Aug. 13, 2014. Hernandez allowed four hits and struck out eight in nine to earn his second shutout of the season.
In staring down Hernandez for 95 pitches, Archer showed why he intrigues so many eyes here and elsewhere. He has built a reputation for his depth away from the mound, but there's plenty to learn about his evolving skill on it.
The Rays, of course, would rather have a healthy Alex Cobb as part of their rotation. But Cobb's choice to have Tommy John surgery has given Archer the chance to become the tip of the Rays' pitching spear. So far, Archer has embraced the role. He stands a respectable 5-4 with a 2.12 ERA and a team-high 82 strikeouts in 11 starts.
Wednesday, he revealed the right mental mettle in out-pitching Hernandez, despite The King earning his seventh victory in his past eight starts. Both pitchers won the afternoon.
"It kind of came as advertised," Rays manager Kevin Cash said, whose team fell to 24-24 and has lost five consecutive games. "We figured it was going to be quite the pitching duel. It certainly was."
Certainly, starting pitchers don't play each other. They dance at a distance in the same way opposing goaltenders or quarterbacks do. They captivate our attention and command hundreds of words, both spoken and written. But their focus remains fixed elsewhere than on their peer in the opposite dugout.
Archer said pitching against Hernandez, a five-time All-Star and an American League Cy Young Award winner, gave him no extra fuel. Even if that's true, faring well Wednesday has to give him confidence as he continues to grow.
After all, Archer has evolved from an unknown who made his major-league debut in 2012 to a David Price understudy to the assumed No. 2 rotation option behind Cobb to a worthy top arm in Tampa Bay's patchwork rotation. Those are many miles traveled. He has come far in his maturity both on the field and away from it.
"He battled every pitch, every out, every inning he threw," Boxberger said. "To be able to go up against a guy like Felix, just to be able to go inning-for-inning with him is something to talk about, for sure."
The most interesting part, though, is where the discussion can go from here. Archer has the stuff in his head and within his right arm to be considered for All-Star Game appearances and AL Cy Young Award nods. He can look at a pitcher as skillful and as accomplished as Hernandez and think, "Hey, with work and favorable health, I can be like that." He wouldn't be wrong.
In fact, Archer's ceiling remains undiscovered. He has thrown no more than 194 2/3 innings in a single season before this year, so 200-plus innings should be his mission this campaign. (He stands at 68 after Wednesday.) What separates elite names such as Price and Hernandez from the rest is their ability to serve as workhorses as well as produce the "wow" moments when they're handed the ball. The kings of Archer's craft are versatile.
Wednesday, there was plenty of "wow" and versatility from Archer. The sight creates wonder about where he might go. As he stood near his stall late in the afternoon, fresh off his dance with The King, he knew this outing should serve as his standard for more ahead.
"As far as how I felt with all three pitches, I've never felt better," he said. "I've had some better outcomes as far as pitching a little bit deeper, but that's the best that I've felt in a really long time. .... The effort that I put out there, or the result that I put out there today, was one of my best. But my mentality was the same."
He has the right frame of mind. He has the talent. He has the desire.
In time, Archer can become a king of his own.
You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.
