Shane Bieber limited hard contact as he allowed just one earned run over seven innings in a win over the Rays.

Bieber allowed only five hard-hit balls, which is good because he carried just a 21 percent whiff rate over 86 pitches. It’s still a concerningly-low strikeout rate as he managed only three today and has just 22 in 30 2/3 innings so far. Bieber has reeled off three consecutive starts with two or fewer earned runs allowed to lower his ERA from 9.00 to 4.70, but he still feels like a tenuous option at this point. He’s lined up against a good Nationals lineup for his next start.