by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (5/20/2013) Rays starting pitcher Alex Cobb has struck out 52 batters in 53 innings, resulting in a career-high 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings. But the right-hander said Monday he's not trying to get strikeouts and isn't confident his strikeout rate will remain this high.
"I'm trying to attack the zone," Cobb said, per MLB.com. "Once I get to two strikes, then I'm trying to put guys away. I don't think I'm striking out too many guys. I'd obviously rather get balls put into play earlier in the count, put it on the ground. But when it doesn't go that way, you have to improvise and try to get the guy out to the best ability. Once there are two strikes, I try to put them away. It's just going that way right now. It won't be like that later in the year."
Alex Cobb Ks seven in ND
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (5/17/2013) Rays starting pitcher Alex Cobb followed up his recent 13-strikeout performance with a solid outing Thursday night against the Red Sox.
Cobb, who made his eighth start of the season, gave up a run-scoring single to David Ortiz in the fourth for his only damage of the night. He surrendered one run and three hits over 6 1/3 innings of work, but failed to factor into the decision. He struck out six and walked two in a 4-3 defeat.
Cobb has struck out 19 in his last 11 innings of work. His ERA dropped to 2.89 after Tuesday's performance. The right-hander is scheduled to make his next start Tuesday at Toronto. He struck out seven and allowed just one run over seven innings of work in his previous meeting against the Blue Jays in 2012.
Alex Cobb tired of giving up home runs
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (5/16/2013) Rays starting pitcher Alex Cobb is coming off a 13-strikeout performance Friday against the Padres, which was an outing he relied heavily on his changeup. Out of 117 pitches, Cobb threw his changeup 49 times.
But he doesn't expect to keep the same game plan heading into his outing Thursday against the Red Sox.
"With a team like Boston, I won't have the same approach," he said to the Tampa Bay Times.
Cobb is concerned about cutting down on his home runs allowed. He's surrendered five in his last two starts after yielding two in his first five starts.
"That can't happen," he said. "I need to put the ball on the ground more."
Alex Cobb looking legit
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com (5/10/2013) As he reached the upper levels of the minors, Rays starting pitcher Alex Cobb started finding more swing-and-miss stuff. From 2010 on, when he reached Double-A, Cobb averaged at least 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings, without an increase in his walk or home run rates. Consequently, he lowered his ERA in each season leading to his callup, peaking with a 1.87 mark at Triple-A Durhamm in 2011.
So far in the majors, Cobb has mostly relied on a heavy diet of groundballs and pinpoint accuracy, with a strikeout rate over parts of three seasons that barely registered as above average. After Friday's ridiculous (and not entirely in a good way) start, in which he struck out 12 batters in just 4 1/3 innings, Cobb is starting to look a bit more like that player who was so strong through the upper minors.
Cobb's strikeout rate is now up to 8.74 per nine innings, while he still has a pristine 1.94 walks per nine innings. He has had real issues with home runs, but is picking up groundballs on 51.9 percent of his batted balls. There's a lot to like about what Cobb is doing right now, especially if you trust that eventually he will not allow a home run on one of every five flyballs. At this point, he probably deserves to be starting in the majority of Fantasy formats, as his breakout start seems sustainable.
Alex Cobb Ks 13 in no-decision
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (5/10/2013) Rays pitcher Alex Cobb became the first pitcher in major-league history to strike out 13 batters in fewer than five innings during Friday's contest against the Padres.
Cobb, who made his seventh start of the season, failed to make it past the fifth inning. He became the second pitcher in franchise history to strike out four in an inning. He also surrendered a run on a balk in that same frame. The right-hander served up a pair of solo homers, as he was charged with three runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings of work. Cobb, who failed to factor into the decision, walked two in 117 pitches, 77 strikes.
He is scheduled to start Thursday at home against Boston. He is 2-2 with a 3.18 ERA in four career starts against the Red Sox.
Alex Cobb wins despite giving up homers
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com (5/5/2013) Rays pitcher Alex Cobb was tagged with a few long balls in his outing against the Rockies but received enough backing to come away with the win. He allowed three runs on eight hits over 6 2/3 innings in the 8-3 victory.
Cobb surrendered a solo homer to Michael Cuddyer in the second before Troy Tulowitzki launched a solo bomb off the right-hander in the fourth. Nolan Arenado added a third solo home run off him in the seventh and he was done after throwing 107 pitches, 71 for strikes.
The 25-year-old also struck out six and walked one while earning his fourth win.
Cobb is scheduled to pitch next on Friday against the Padres.
Alex Cobb comes undone in sixth
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (4/30/2013) Rays starter Alex Cobb, who entered Tuesday's outing with a 3-1 record and 1.82 ERA, cruised through the first five innings in Kansas City. And then came the sixth.
Cobb allowed four hits through the first five innings then gave up six straight in the sixth. He couldn't finish the inning and finished with four earned runs on 10 hits and no walks over 5 2/3 innings. Cobb struck out five and threw 88 pitches.
Cobb went 8 1/3 shutout innings in his last start against the Yankees and had a 14-inning scoreless streak before unraveling in the sixth Tuesday. His next start is Sunday at Colorado.
Alex Cobb goes 8 1/3 in shutout win
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (4/24/2013) Rays starter Alex Cobb almost went the distance as he pitched into the ninth inning Wednesday night against the Yankees. He settled for 8 1/3 shutout innings in a 3-0 win.
Cobb put a runner on base in the ninth and was removed with one out in the inning. Fernando Rodney got the job done for the save. Cobb surrendered just three base hits, walked one and struck out seven. He threw 106 pitches and improved to 3-1.
Cobb has pitched into at least the eighth inning in three of his four starts this season and has pitched into the seventh in all of them. He has already made two starts without allowing a run and has given up just six over 29 2/3 innings for a 1.82 ERA with 22 Ks.
The 25-year-old has won two straight outings and will look to make it three straight when he next takes the ball Tuesday at Kansas City.
Alex Cobb earns win No. 2
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (4/19/2013) Rays starting pitcher Alex Cobb turned in a decent performance to earn his second win of the season Friday night at home against the Athletics.
Cobb (2-1), who made his third start of the season, surrendered two runs in the first and a solo home run to Coco Crisp in the seventh. The right-hander allowed 10 hits in 7 1/3 innings of an 8-3 victory. Cobb has not allowed more than three runs in each of his first three outings. He has a 2.53 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP.
The 25-year-old's next start is Wednesday at home against the Yankees. Cobb went 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA last season against New York.
Alex Cobb no match for Clay Buchholz
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (4/14/2013) Tampa Bay starter Alex Cobb couldn't keep up with Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz on Sunday in Boston. The Rays' young starter suffered one poor inning and pitched into the seventh, but it wasn't enough as he took the loss.
With Buccholz flirting with a no-hitter into the eighth inning, the four runs -- three earned -- Cobb gave up in the third inning was more than enough for the Sox to pull the win. Cobb, who dropped to 1-1 on the year after taking the loss, gave up four runs -- three earned -- on seven hits and two walks over 6 2/3 innings. The second walk came in the seventh as he was pulled shortly after.
Cobb, who struck out five on the afternoon while throwing 106 pitches, still has a solid ERA at 2.03 on the year. He was making his second start and has now allowed just three runs over his first 14 innings with 11 Ks. He is scheduled to make his next start Friday against Oakland.
Rays shuffle starters in wake of rainout
by Jack Moore | CBSSports.com (4/12/2013) The Rays have shuffled up their starting rotation in the wake of a rainout Thursday against the Red Sox, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com (4/6/2013) Rays starting pitcher Alex Cobb struck out six batters in 7 1/3 scoreless innings to pick up the win in his 2013 debut, allowing just four hits and three walks while throwing 103 pitches.
Cobb held the opposition scoreless in just two of 23 starts in 2012 but kept zeroes on the board in his first game of this season. He's scheduled to face the Red Sox in Boston in his next start.
Alex Cobb getting more popular
by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer (3/27/2013) When one of your sleepers performs well in spring training, an unfortunate side effect is that he becomes everybody's sleeper, all but ensuring you'll never get to draft him again.
The Rays' Alex Cobb is that guy for me this year. I don't think he has ace potential, but I think he's good enough to start every week even in shallower leagues. He allowed three earned runs or fewer in 14 of his final 15 starts last year -- and with a good enough strikeout rate to distance himself from guys like Mark Buehrle and Jason Vargas.
But then manager Joe Maddon had to draw attention to him by awarding him the fourth spot in the rotation before spring training even began, and then Cobb had to go and strike out 28 batters in 25 2/3 innings while compiling a 2.81 ERA and 0.94 WHIP.
All good signs, but not good enough for me to value Cobb over Brett Anderson and Josh Beckett, as some people now do.
Alex Cobb working in real time
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (3/22/2013) Rays starting pitcher Alex Cobb yielded three runs and five hits over 6 1/3 innings during Tampa Bay's 6-4 Grapefruit League loss to Pittsburgh on Friday. Cobb, slated to assume the No. 4 spot in the rotation, struck out five batters but also walked three. He has now amassed at least five strikeouts in five of his six outings this spring.
"It was the most comparable (thing) to a real game that I've felt this spring," Cobb said about his performance. "I went through my challenges with runners on, working through jams, working through my mechanics, figuring things out. It's a different mentality when you go deeper in the game."
Rays starter Alex Cobb not at his best
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (3/17/2013) Tampa Bay Rays starter Alex Cobb had a so-so start on Sunday in a Grapefruit League outing against the Red Sox. Cobb didn't have much chance in a game that saw Jon Lester go six perfect innings, but the Rays starter wasn't so sharp.
Cobb allowed four runs -- three earned -- on six hits and a walk over 5 1/3 innings before being removed in favor of Juan Sandoval. Cobb was hurt by two Will Middlebrooks doubles and Jonny Gomes cashed in all the runs scored against him.
The good news for Cobb is that even with his three earned runs allowed, his spring ERA remains solid at 2.33. He had given up just two runs over 14 innings with 18 strikeouts over his first four Grapefruit appearances.
Cobb, 25, went 11-9 with a 4.03 ERA over 23 starts for the Rays last year. He struck out 106 over 136 1/3 innings with a solid 1.247 WHIP. He has a rotation spot locked up heading into the regular season.
Is Alex Cobb worth high ADP?
by Nando Di Fino | Senior Fantasy Writer (3/14/2013) From August forward last year, Alex Cobb went 7-1 (over 11 starts) with a 3.09 ERA and almost a strikeout per inning. He's just the next in a long line of solid homegrown Tampa Bay starters, and was part of the reason the team was fine trading James Shields to the Royals this winter. Cobb won't get you the flashiest of numbers, but he should be able to produce a nice ERA and decent WHIP over 30-plus starts. His ADP of 178 -- ahead of Trevor Cahill, Tommy Hanson, and A.J. Griffin -- is a little high for my tastes, but he shouldn't fall much more than a round or two below that spot.
Cobb mowing down opponents
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (3/12/2013) Tampa Bay starting pitcher Alex Cobb fired five scoreless innings and permitted just two singles during the Rays' 3-1 loss to the Yankees in Grapefruit League play Tuesday. Cobb extended his scoreless streak to 12 innings as he whittled his ERA down to 1.29 following his fourth start of the spring. For the third consecutive game, he did not issue a walk and fanned at least five batters as he finished with six strikeouts Tuesday.
Cobb on fire
(3/7/2013) Rays starter Alex Cobb blanked the Pirates over four innings on Thursday, allowing one hit and no walks, while striking out five batters. In his previous start, Cobb threw three shutout innings, again striking out five.
Cobb razor sharp for Rays
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (3/2/2013) Rays starter Alex Cobb was as sharp as could be against the Orioles in Grapefruit League action on Saturday. Cobb started and went three scoreless innings with five strikeouts. He threw only 36 pitches and gave up one base hit to the Orioles.
Cobb ready for more work
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (2/25/2013) Rays starting pitcher Alex Cobb gave up two runs and four hits in two innings during Tampa Bay's Grapefruit League contest against Boston on Monday. Cobb, who is entering his first full season as a member of the starting rotation, had two strikeouts and walked one batter. He permitted a run in each inning he pitched, including one on a solo homer by Dustin Pedroia, who was the second batter he faced in the game. "The results weren't great. But at this time of the year, I'm looking to feel good, and I did," Cobb said, per The Tampa Tribune. "I was trying to throw a little too hard, keeping the ball up, rushing a little bit. When I did control myself, I had good results. Obviously the home run isn't very good, and the RBI double isn't very good. But I got a lot of ground balls, which is what I'm looking for, and it shows me I'm getting the angle I'm looking for."
Rays have confidence in Cobb
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (2/13/2013) MLB.com reports Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey is confident his pitching staff will be able to make up for the innings lost when the Rays traded James Shields, who surpassed 200-plus innings in each of the last six seasons. Hickey is counting on Jeremy Hellickson, Matt Moore and Alex Cobb to help pick up the slack. "Moore, Cobb and Hellickson are all ready to pitch that 200 innings," Hickey said. "And it's not so much the need to, it's their performance warrants throwing 200 innings. You want to keep them out there for 200 innings. There are a lot of guys who are capable of pitching 200 innings but never make it to that plateau, because you choose to remove them from the game. Hopefully that won't be the case here."
