Bradley allowed three hits and a walk over six shutout frames Friday, striking out seven and earning a win over the Red Sox.
Bradley didn't face much of a threat as he rolled through his season finale. He needed only 71 pitches to complete the outing and forced 11 whiffs, including four with his splitter. It was Bradley's second quality start over his last seven appearances and he finished the year with back-to-back wins. He posted a 2.90 ERA over 68.1 innings before the All-Star break, but his season ERA ended at 4.11 through 25 starts due to some second-half struggles. Bradley posted a 5.30 ERA while going 4-7 over his final 13 starts this season.
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Rays' Taj Bradley: Allows one run in win
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Bradley (7-11) earned the win against the Blue Jays on Saturday, allowing one run on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts over five innings.
Bradley generated 12 whiffs on 103 pitches and performed well enough to earn his first win since July 25. The 23-year-old has yielded four or more earned runs in six of his past 10 outings but has earned a quality start and a victory in two of his past three. On the season, he owns a 4.30 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 147:46 K:BB across 132 innings and lines up to face the Red Sox in his final start of the campaign.
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Rays' Taj Bradley: Fans six in loss
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Bradley (6-11) yielded two runs on five hits and three walks over 4.1 innings Sunday, striking out six and taking a loss against Cleveland.
Bradley escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning but was charged with a run in each of the second and fifth frames. While he threw 99 pitches despite not finishing five innings, he managed to generate 15 whiffs, including eight from the splitter. Bradley hasn't earned a win since July 25 and has now lost seven straight decisions. During the losing streak, he's posted a brutal 7.88 ERA over nine starts. Bradley will carry a 4.39 ERA into his next start, which is lined up to be at home against the Blue Jays.
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Rays' Taj Bradley: Records quality start
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Bradley didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against the Phillies, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks over six innings. He struck out six.
Three of the Phillies four runs off Bradley came via the long ball, a Kyle Schwarber solo shot in the first inning before Trea Turner added a two-run homer in the third. The 23-year-old Bradley has now gone eight straight starts without a win, struggling to an 8.27 ERA in that span, though he's shown some improvement recently, logging 16 strikeouts over 13 innings in his last two outings. Bradley is 6-10 on the season with a 4.40 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 137:41 K:BB across 122.2. innings. He's currently in line to face the Guardians on the road this weekend in his next start.
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Rays' Taj Bradley: Strikes out 10 in loss
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Bradley (6-10) took the loss against the Twins on Thursday, allowing four runs on six hits and one walk while striking out 10 batters over seven innings.
Bradley pitched well Thursday against the Twins, but a pair of home runs cost him, and he came away with his 10th loss of the season. Bradley has now allowed a homer in each of his last five games, and he becomes the first Rays pitcher to allow 20 or more homers in back-to-back seasons since 2016-17. Following a dominant nine-start stretch from early June to late July, Bradley has pitched to an 8.92 ERA with six losses in his last seven outings.
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Rays' Taj Bradley: Looks better but takes another loss
Rotowire
Bradley (6-8) took the loss against Oakland on Monday, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out two batters over six innings.
Following a dominant nine-start stretch from early June to late July, Bradley entered Monday in a funk, posting a 9.64 ERA and 1.93 WHIP while losing three straight outings. The right-hander showed some improvement against the A's -- he notched a quality start and was moderately efficient with 89 pitches over six frames -- but he took another defeat and walked more batters (three) than he struck out (two). Bradley also surrendered another long ball, and he's now given up five home runs over his past 20 innings after surrendering just three homers across 55 frames during the aforementioned nine-start stretch. Bradley looked like a potential league-winner in fantasy while he was on his hot streak, but his recent fade is bringing back memories of his tumble late last season, when he posted a 7.11 ERA over his final 13 outings after beginning the campaign with a 3.86 mark across his first 10 starts.
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Rays' Taj Bradley: Allows six runs in loss
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Bradley (6-7) took the loss Monday, allowing six runs on eight hits and two walks over 4.1 innings against the Astros. He struck out six.
Bradley was mostly done in by a four-run third that was capped by a three-run blast off the bat of Yainer Diaz. Ultimately, Bradley was unable to escape the fifth, having allowed a total of six runs en route to his seventh loss. Following a 10-game stretch in which Bradley completed at least five innings during each start and allowed two or fewer runs nine times, Bradley has now failed to complete five in each of his last two while allowing a total of 11 earned runs. Despite his recent struggles, Bradley's season-long totals remain strong with a 3.49 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 112 strikeouts over 95.1 innings. His next opportunity is not slated to be any easier, as he's currently set to face off against the red-hot Diamondbacks in Tampa.
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Rays' Taj Bradley: Stumbles vs. Marlins
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Bradley (6-5) took the loss Wednesday against Miami, allowing four runs on four hits and one walk over five innings. He struck out six.
Bradley was stung by the long ball Tuesday -- after giving up a solo homer to Jonah Bride in the second inning, the right-hander surrendered a two-run shot to Jake Burger in the third that put the Rays in a 4-2 hole. Bradley hadn't allowed more than two runs in nine straight starts prior to Wednesday -- he'd pitched to a stellar 0.82 ERA in that span (55 innings). Overall, the 23-year-old Bradley now sports a 2.71 ERA on the year with a 1.01 WHIP and 103:28 K:BB across 15 outings (86.1 innings). He'll look to get back on track in his next start, currently scheduled for early next week in St. Louis.
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Rays' Taj Bradley: Keeps dealing
Rotowire
Bradley (6-4) picked up the win Thursday against Toronto, allowing two hits and one walk with seven strikeouts over six scoreless innings.
Bradley has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the last month and a half, allowing just five earned runs in 55 innings across his past nine starts. He's been especially sharp of late and hasn't surrendered a run in three consecutive outings. He made quick work of the Blue Jays on Thursday and didn't allow a hit after the first inning, retiring 17 of the final 18 batters he faced. The 23-year-old's ERA has dropped to 2.63 on the year, and he has 90 punchouts across 75.1 innings.
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Rays' Taj Bradley: Dominant again in win
Rotowire
Bradley (5-4) earned the win against the Yankees on Saturday, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out five over seven scoreless innings.
The only hit Bradley allowed was a leadoff double to Ben Rice, and he concluded his outing by retiring 11 consecutive batters. The 23-year-old has now tossed seven scoreless frames in back-to-back starts and has yielded two earned runs or fewer in eight straight. He owns a 2.63 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 90:26 K:BB across 75.1 innings and lines up for a home matchup with the Reds next week.
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Rays' Taj Bradley: Settles for quality start Saturday
Rotowire
Bradley came away with a no-decision in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Rangers, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out five.
The right-hander was still the pitcher of record when the Rays took the lead in the top of the seventh, putting Bradley in line for his fourth win of the year, but Kevin Kelly blew the save in the bottom of the frame. The quality start was Bradley's third in his last five trips to the mound, a stretch in which he's posted a 1.29 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 45:13 K:BB through 35 innings. The 23-year-old right-hander will look to keep rolling in his next start, which is scheduled to come at home next weekend against the Guardians.
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Rays' Taj Bradley: Fans eight in no-decision
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Bradley came away with a no-decision Monday against Seattle, allowing one earned run on two hits and four walks while striking out eight over 5.1 innings.
The only run given up by Bradley came on a fourth-inning home run by Cal Raleigh. The right-hander yielded just two hits, but the four walks are a season worst, and he has now walked multiple batters in six of his past seven starts. The 23-year-old has an excellent 10.8 K/9 (91st percentile), but he will need to minimize free passes to stay consistent. On the season, Bradley has recorded a 3.81 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP and a 61:18 K:BB over 49.2 innings. His next start is currently scheduled for this weekend against Washington.
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Rays' Taj Bradley: Strikes out 11 in win
Rotowire
Bradley (2-4) earned the win against the Cubs on Thursday, allowing two (unearned) runs on three hits and two walks with 11 strikeouts over seven innings.
Bradley was dominant other than the fifth inning, when the Cubs scored two unearned runs on back-to-back bunts. This was arguably the best start of Bradley's young career, as he registered 17 swinging strikes on 104 pitches and tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts. While Bradley has been up-and-down in 2024, Thursday's effort showed his immense potential when he has his best stuff. On the season, he owns a 4.23 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 50:12 K:BB in 38.1 innings, and he tentatively lines up to face the Twins next week.
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Rays' Taj Bradley: Crushed by O's
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Bradley (1-3) took the loss Saturday, surrendering nine runs on nine hits -- including four home runs -- and three walks over 3.1 innings as the Rays were downed 9-5 by the Orioles. He struck out three.
Baltimore put runs on the board in every inning the right-hander pitched, with Ryan Mountcastle taking him deep twice to lead the charge for the home squad. Bradley had served up only three homers in 23 innings this season since coming off the IL, but keeping the ball in the park was an issue for him in 2023 as well, and he's now been tagged for 30 homers in 131 career big-league innings. Bradley will look to rebound in his next start, which lines up to be a rematch with the O's back in Tampa Bay next weekend.
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Rays' Taj Bradley: Walks three in no-decision
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Bradley allowed a hit and three walks while striking out six over five scoreless innings in a no-decision versus the Royals on Sunday.
Bradley was able to quiet a Royals offense that had scored at least five runs in each of the previous eight games. This was a good bounce-back effort for Bradley after he gave up five runs over seven innings to the Red Sox on Monday. The 23-year-old is now at a 3.13 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 29:6 K:BB over 23 innings across four starts this season. His next start is projected to be a tough road matchup in Baltimore.
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Rays' Taj Bradley: Yields five runs
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Bradley (1-2) allowed five runs on six hits over seven innings Monday, striking out 10 and taking a loss against Boston.
Bradley worked through three shutout frames before the Red Sox scored three runs in the fourth inning. Nearly all the damage against him came on a pair of two-run homers by Rafael Devers and Ceddanne Rafaela. Despite the poor final line, Bradley turned in his longest start of the year and matched his career best with seven innings. He owns a 4.00 ERA with an impressive 23:3 K:BB through 18 innings. His next start is projected to be at home against the Royals this weekend.
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Rays' Taj Bradley: Fans six in victory
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Bradley (1-1) earned the win over Boston on Wednesday, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out six batters over five innings.
Bradley wasn't quite as sharp as he was in his season debut Friday versus the Yankees, when he gave up just one run and struck out seven batters over six innings, but a big difference Wednesday was that he went home with a win. The promising 23-year-old got a late start to the season after injuring his pectoral in spring training and subsequently landing on the injured list, but he's impressed in two starts since his return as he attempts to solidify the back of Tampa Bay's rotation. Bradley's next start is tentatively projected to be a rematch against Boston, this time at home.
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Rays' Taj Bradley: Sharp in season debut
Rotowire
Bradley (0-1) was the pitcher of record in Friday's loss to the 2-0 loss to the Yankees, allowing one run on four hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out seven.
Bradley was excellent in his first MLB start since suffering a pectoral strain in spring training, holding the Yankees to a lone run on an Anthony Rizzo two-out RBI single in the fourth inning. However, the right-hander was stuck with the loss as the Rays failed to get anything going offensively in a 2-0 defeat. Bradley made 21 starts for Tampa Bay last season, going 5-8 with a 5.59 ERA. He's currently slated to face the Red Sox on the road in his next outing, which will likely fall Wednesday.
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Rays' Taj Bradley: Returns from IL
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The Rays reinstated Bradley (pectoral) from the 15-day injured list Wednesday.
Bradley is slated to make his season debut Friday against the Yankees at Tropicana Field, but the Rays opted to activate the right-hander two days early after rotation mate Ryan Pepiot (lower leg) was placed on the 15-day IL in a corresponding move. The 23-year-old showed no sign of being affected by the pectoral strain he suffered in spring training over the course of his two rehab starts with Triple-A Durham, as he struck out 15 while allowing one earned run on two hits and three walks across 11 innings. Bradley built up to 94 pitches in his second outing with Durham last Friday and shouldn't face any workload restrictions in his first start with Tampa Bay.
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Rays' Taj Bradley: Season debut likely coming Friday
Rotowire
Bradley (pectoral) is likely to be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Friday's game against the Yankees, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
He'll slide into the rotation spot vacated by Ryan Pepiot (leg), who is expected to be placed on the 15-day IL. Bradley has been out all season with a right pectoral strain but looked terrific in two rehab starts, most recently striking out eight over six frames of one-run ball with Triple-A Durham this past Friday. The right-hander posted a 5.59 ERA but had an impressive 129:39 K:BB across 104.2 innings for the Rays last season.
