Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Blake Snell refused to question manager Kevin Cash’s decision to pull him from the mound on Tuesday night but argued that Game 6 of the World Series was by far one of his best games “in a long time.”
A somber Snell spoke to the media following the Rays heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, saying that win or lose, he had hoped to finish the game for his team.
“Definitely disappointed, upset,” he said when asked about being pulled while the Rays were still ahead in the lead early in the sixth. “I felt good. I felt I did everything I could to prove my case to stay out there and then for us to lose, it sucks.”
Snell had only allowed two hits and had struck out nine Dodgers before Cash decided to put in Nick Anderson, who allowed Mookie Betts’ double — starting a sequence that led to two quick runs.
“I don’t really know what to say. I just — I wanna win and I wanna win a World Series and that’s the goal, so for us to lose, it just sucks,” Snell said. “I mean, I’m not going to question him, he’s a hell of a manager so I’m not gonna question him. I’ll voice my opinion and I can only look forward to the offseason and what I’m going to accomplish this offseason to get ready to be the best me I can be for next year.”
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The 27-year-old All-Star was so confident in his performance, he told reporters he didn’t believe there was more he could have done to put the Rays in a better position to force Game 7.
“No shot, that was one of my better games in a long time honestly … I felt very comfortable out there.”
But Snell stopped just short of criticizing Cash.
“I don’t know how to word it or say it — Cash is usually right so for you guys that are gonna write bad stories on the decision, he’s usually right,” he said.
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Cash’s argument for pulling Snell was to avoid him facing hitters for a third time in a game.
“I totally respect and understand the questions that come with it. Blake gave us every opportunity to win. He was outstanding. They’re not easy decisions. I didn’t want Mookie and (Corey) Seager seeing Blake a third time,” he explained.
But for Snell, he was confident in his ability to adapt even a third time around.
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“I just believe in me. I believe in my stuff. I believe in what I was doing … For most of that game I was dominating every outcome possible and that lineup (Dodgers) is so talented, so talented.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
