Snell protects lead

Big news: Ian Snell had a lead, and he kept it, for many innings.

The Bucs took a 1-0 lead in the first. Paulino made it 2-0 in the second. Snell pitched six innings - the second through the seventh - and he protected that lead.

The only other time Snell pitched with a lead was in his first win, on April 28. The Bucs gave him a one-run lead for the top of the seventh. And he blew it. Fortunately, they scored two in the bottom of the inning while he was the pitcher of record. That's how he won that game.

I consider this lead-protection a small but real step toward Snell winning ten, fifteen, or even twenty games for us. You can't win games if you can't preserve a lead.

Hats off for Ian Snell!

I'm still waiting for Ollie to protect a lead this season. In all his starts this year, he has yet to pitch with a lead. Unfortunately, this is not so much a story about run support.