The Tampa Bay Rays prospects have been making quite a name for themselves thus far in 2015. Shortstop Daniel Robertson is lighting up the box scores, coming off a 7-hit double header performance. Blake Snell hasn’t allowed a run yet this season, as his streak now rests at 40 innings. Yesterday, Snell’s Opening Day roommate, Buddy Borden tossed Minor League Baseball’s fifth no-hitter of the 2015 season.
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The 23-year old right hander was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the seventh round of the 2013 draft. This past offseason, he came to the Tampa Bay Rays as the POTBL (player to be named later) in the Sean Rodriguez deal. The 6 foot 3 fireballer started this season coming out of the bullpen. When his roommate Snell was promoted to Double-A, Borden snuck into the rotation.
Wednesday was only Borden’s second start of the season. He went five innings in his starting rotation debut against Jupiter a week prior allowing only one run on three hits, while striking out four. Wednesday, he was even better. Borden went 7 no hit, shutout innings, while walking two and striking out three. It is safe to say that he seems comfortable transitioning back to the rotation!
It was the second no-hitter thrown in Charlotte Stone Crabs history. Who threw the first? Borden’s old buddy, Blake Snell. The two are rapidly becoming household names amongst Rays fans.
It was no normal no-hitter. The game was the first of a twin bill and started at 10:30 AM. It was the second time the game was being made up: Monday’s game was cancelled when the entire Threshers’ team came down with an illness, and Tuesday’s make up was postponed due to rain.
"“It was kind of a weird, messed-up day as far as all that goes,” Borden told Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com. “Last night’s game got postponed right when I was in the middle of stretching. And then today, you’re not necessarily used to getting going that early. But after that, it was a pretty normal day.”"
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The game also included the fourth triple play of the 2015 Minor League season. With a runner on second (who reached on an error) and a runner on first from a Borden walk, Dylan Cozens lined sharply to Willy Adames, who snagged it out of the air, stepped on second and tossed it to first to end the only threat of Borden’s day. He would rise victorious.
Even more impressively, in the second game of the twin bill, the Stone Crabs allowed just one hit while sweeping the double header. Three pitchers combined for the 1-0 victory with the only hit being a bunt. It was quite the pitching day for the junior Rays.
"“The staff just did a great job of continuing to get weak contact,” Borden told Dykstra. “I mean, the only hit was a push bunt to second. They took what happened in the first game and did a great job of carrying it over. There’s something about this team that it just finds ways to win. Today was a great day to be on this team, and I’m really grateful for it.”"