ST. PETERSBURG — There is a code among relief pitchers that when the phone rings and the manager wants you in the game, you go in the game. The phone has been ringing a lot down in the Rays bullpen.
The bullpen began play Saturday having pitched 255 innings across 244 appearances.
Those 255 innings were tops in the major leagues. Those 244 appearances trailed only Joe Maddon’s Cubs, who had made 251 through Friday.
That is a lot of work through 75 games. In fact, the Rays are on pace for a franchise-record 527 appearances, which easily would top the 510 made by the 2010 bullpen.