RaysBaseball.com:Niemann coming of age in recent starts

Bill Chastain of MLB.com takes a look at the success Jeff Niemann has seen lately.

TORONTO — Joe Maddon says Jeff Niemann is “in a good place” when asked to explain the big right-hander’s coming of age this season.

The 26-year-old rookie will be making his 18th start of the season after pitching eight innings against the White Sox on Tuesday night to pick up his team-leading ninth win of the season.

Niemann has won a career-high five straight decisions, which puts him in range to break Mark Hendrickson‘s club record of seven. In 11 starts since May 13, Niemann is 7-1 with a 2.48 ERA; he has allowed three earned runs or less in all but one of those starts.

“It’s nice trying to keep it going and have some fun,” said Niemann about the roll he’s been on.

After logging a good game, Niemann said the next start is all about trying to “keep the things going that enabled you to do that.”

And according to the 6-foot-9, 280-pound right-hander, that translates to the following: Throwing strikes, attacking the hitters and not wasting pitches.

James Shields, the Rays’ No. 1 starter, has noticed two reasons for Niemann’s success.

“His work ethic for sure, he’s got a pretty good work ethic,” Shields said. “The other thing is dealing with adversity.”

Shields cited how Niemann has been skipped over for starts a couple of times this season in order to rearrange the starting rotation, and early in the season, Maddon had a quick hook with Niemann.

“He wasn’t pitching very well the first month of the season,” Shields said. “To be successful up here, you have to be able to deal with that. I think he’s doing a great job of that. He’s learning along the way, a lot about himself. And I think he’s doing a great job about that.”

Maddon believes his confidence is way up.

“With him being as big as he is, it’s just a matter of him getting in sync with his delivery,” Maddon said. “And if he’s going to pitch well again [Sunday] — fastball down in the zone, curveball for a strike — heads up, because it’s an abnormal angle he throws from and now he’s doing it with confidence.”