A high pitch count usually plagues Robbie Ray, left-hander for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
For whatever reason, Ray cannot properly manage the number of pitches he throws per inning. For the most part, the reasonable barometer is around 15 pitches, but Ray usually exceeds that number. The one factor at work here remains Ray’s inability to throw first-pitch strikes.
That dilemma followed Ray again Monday night in the opener of a three-game set with the New York Mets. After shutting down the Mets on no runs in seven innings on Aug. 10 at Citi Field, Ray sought to duplicate his strongest effort of the season.