Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Ryan Sherriff knew something was not right. He felt it as soon as he stepped on the mound to protect a 2–0 lead in the seventh inning against the Marlins in Miami in the second game of this season. Manager Kevin Cash had gone to him in a high-leverage moment, an indication of how far Sherriff had traveled to earn this kind of trust.
Last season Sherriff, 30, did not allow a run during his 10 regular-season appearances, becoming the 12th pitcher in baseball history to pitch a scoreless season of 10 games or more.