Snell building Cy Young case with historic ERA

Snell loses no-no in 19th win If the 2018 Rays have been known for anything, it's their innovative use of "the opener," the strategy of pitching a short reliever at the start of a game rather than later in relief. It's been a big part of their stunning success; since they implemented the opener for the first time on May 19, they have a 3.45 ERA, the lowest in the American League and the second lowest in the Majors.

But, as we tried to explain in June, Tampa Bay's ability to keep runs off the board isn't just due to the unconventional way that manager Kevin Cash is deploying his pitchers. Once every five days, it's because of something far more traditional: Blake Snell, the only "normal"…