Chris Archer’s recent stretch of dominance continued this afternoon, as he tossed a two-hit shutout in a 1-0 victory over the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. It was his second shutout in his past three starts.
This qualified as a “Maddux” for Archer, as he needed just 97 pitches to finish it off. Outdueling Ivan Nova, the 24-year-old right-hander struck out six and didn’t walk a batter. Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune notes that Archer is the first rookie pitcher to throw a shutout against the Yankees in New York since the Orioles’ Arthur Rhodes did it on July 29, 1992.
Archer will finish July at 4-0 with a 0.73 ERA and 22/7 K/BB ratio in 38 innings over five starts. Meanwhile, the first-place Rays have a 2.27 ERA this month. It’s no wonder why they are the hottest team in baseball.
