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Archer sets Rays strikeout record in loss to Yankees (w/video)

 
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Chris Archer (22) throwing in the second inning of the game between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays in Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015.
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Chris Archer (22) throwing in the second inning of the game between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays in Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015.
Published Sept. 17, 2015

ST. PETERSBURG — A victory would have been the fitting result for Chris Archer on Wednesday.

Not because of how well he pitched, or because he broke the team record for strikeouts in a season, or what his Rays or the Yankees did as the game unfolded.

No, just simply based on the circumstance. Archer, chosen as the Rays' nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award that recognizes a player for his charitable contributions off the field as much as his performance on, was pitching on the day Major League Baseball honored one of the most giving players in its history.

"It was awesome, pitching on the day," Archer said after the 3-1 loss. "It was cool how things line up like that, the divinity in life.

"The more and more I think about it, that's what I want to become, that caliber of player, and that caliber of philanthropist. He was doing it on a whole nother level. And I definitely think I can get there. And it's encouraging because somebody else paved the way."

Archer was familiar with Clemente's story since reading of him in elementary school but has sought to learn more. He found himself near tears Wednesday morning watching an MLB Network segment on Clemente, and how the former Pirates star died in a plane crash on a humanitarian mission.

"That's what I'm saying, a whole nother level," Archer said.

Though the outcome of the game wasn't what he wanted, Archer found his usual satisfaction in his effort, referencing his standard slogan that if you don't like it, then pitch better.

"I'm not going to beat myself up over it, I did everything I possibly could,'' he said. "I'm not going to be perfect every single time, but obviously want to get a team win.''

He went in three strikeouts short of Scott Kazmir's 2007 team record of 239 for a season and by the third inning had made it his. He got Brett Gardner and Alex Rodriguez on strikeouts in the first, then opened the third by striking out Jacoby Ellsbury, the hitter who gives him more trouble than any other, to tie the mark then got the next batter, Brett Gardner, swinging to break it. By the end of his six innings, Archer had extended his record to 243, with the potential to keep adding as he may make three more starts.

"Considering the pitchers that have come through this organization that are known for strikeouts — Matt Moore, Alex Cobb, (Jake) Odorizzi is capable of striking people out," Archer said. "Not to mention guys who aren't here anymore, with (James) Shields, who logged a ton of innings, so by nature he's going to have a lot of strikeouts because of innings. And the possible Cy Young this year, David Price.

"So there's been a lot of good pitchers. And to show that my swing-and-miss capability is up there with those guys, it's a nice accomplishment for sure."

And while the stats crowd has come with all kinds of new ways to measure a pitcher's effectiveness, Rays manager Kevin Cash still considers strikeouts a valid old-school currency.

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"Is there a more dominating thing you can do to a hitter than strike him out?" Cash said. "And for him to have done it as many times as he has, so, yes, it means a ton."

Archer was pretty good Wednesday, allowing only four hits but four walks his biggest flaw, as two came around to score.

He allowed one run in the second, when he put leadoff man Carlos Beltran and then allowed a double to rookie Greg Bird (who in the ninth would hit a massive homer off the D-ring above rightfield).

And he gave up a more painful run in the sixth, when he allowed a pair of four-pitch walks, and then a two-out single to Chase Headley.

And, as often has been the case, Archer didn't get much support, the Rays going 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, striking out six times, in dropping to 70-75.

They made some bad plays, such as Nick Franklin popping up a bunt into a double play with Steven Souza Jr. running on what Cash acknowledged was a miscommunication he took the blame for, and got what may have been a bad break on a ball Souza hit that looked to strike something hanging from the Trop roof which could have made it a home run but was ruled a double with no video to prove otherwise, and Souza was stranded.

"There was no camera that showed that it did. I guess the reasoning we had,was Jacoby Ellsbury's a very good centerfielder, he's probably played over 100 baseball games here. I have never seen him take a route like that, ever,'' Cash said. "I know Souza hit it good, but if you can't see it on camera, and no one saw it at the time, there's not much you can do about it."

Once again, it was that kind of night.

Contact Marc Topkin at mtopkin@tampabay.com.