McClanahan & Co shut out the Giants: Rays 3, Giants 0
May 1, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan (18) throws a pitch during the first inning against San Francisco Giants at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Pablo Robles-Imagn Images | Pablo Robles-Imagn Images It may have taken some time to get his sea legs back, but Shane McClanahan pitched with a level of conviction we haven’t seen since before the injuries.
As a result, he turned in his best outing of the season and set the table for the Rays second shutout in their last three games. His six-shutout innings were the most he has thrown in nearly three years. It was the sharpest he has looked post injuries and sight for sore eyes, especially in the wake of the news that Ryan Pepiot would be out for the remainder of the season.
Having Mac back on the mound in any capacity this season would have been a positive for the Rays. To see him return to form this quickly is as good as the Rays brass could have hoped for. View Link Opposite McClanahan was San Franciso Giants starter, Robby Ray, who also turned in a strong performance but left trailing and took home the loss.
McClanahan and Ray battled it out over the first six innings and Mac came out on top as Ray made a few costly mistakes to the big boys, Yandy and Caminero. The first mistake, if you can even call it that, came in the bottom of the second inning when Yandy Diaz flicked a outside fastball over the wall in right field to give the Rays a 1-0 lead. His fifth homer of the year and a perfect Yandy blast at that.
View Link Two innings later Junior Caminero turned on a high and inside fastball and deposited it deep into the left field stands. It was his ninth homer of the year and it traveled 432 feet. View Link Then in the sixth inning, Walls doubled to lead off the inning, quickly stole third, and scored on a Chandler Simpson sacrifice fly.