Rays starter Tyler Glasnow didn’t have time to get settled in during his ALDS Game 5 start against the Astros, surrendering four straight hits and ultimately four runs in the first inning. The Rays would go on to lose the decisive playoff game 6-1.
Glasnow’s night wasn’t long, as he lasted only 2 2/3 innings, but he was otherwise solid outside of the first six batters. He ended the first inning with back-to-back strikeouts, then worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the second with a strikeout and two weak pop-ups. He got another pop-up and a ground out in the third before manager Kevin Cash removed him in favor of lefty Blake Snell.
On the FS1 broadcast, Joe Girardi and A.J. Pierzynski ruminated that Glasnow may have been tipping his pitches. Some former players were more confident that Glasnow was, in fact, tipping his pitches.
Phillies radio analyst Kevin Frandsen tweeted, “Glasnow never changed in between starts! Tips every pitch!” Frandsen, by the way, said Glasnow was tipping last week as well in Game 1 against the Astros.
Trevor Plouffe, who re-signed with the Phillies on a minor league contract for the 2019 season, responded to Frandsen, “I had his pitches this Spring Training. Every one of em and it only took an inning.”
Preston Wilson wrote, “No doubt in my mind. Glasnow is tipping his pitches.”
Glasnow, 26, only made 12 starts during the regular season due to a flexor strain. Those 12 starts, though, were high quality as he posted a 1.78 ERA with 76 strikeouts and 14 walks across 60 2/3 innings. He certainly had the ability to shut down the Astros on Thursday night.
Media types will no doubt ask Glasnow and the Rays’ staff if the right-hander was indeed tipping his pitches, so we should know soon enough.
Update: And there it is.
