5 dynamite starting pitching performances from Wednesday

Wednesday was a good day to be an admirer of pitching.

Several ace-level starters toed the rubber, including Noah Syndergaard and Corey Kluber, but neither of them can be labeled the best of the day. Kluber was only really victimized by a monster home run by Shohei Ohtani, but he was saddled with the no decision, which is enough to disqualify him from consideration.

Five other starters were even more impressive on the bump, and they deserve some extra attention for their efforts. With the constant threat of long balls, nights with five (or more) pitching gems are becoming increasingly rare.

Sean Manaea, Athletics (vs. Rangers)

Manaea gets top billing even though he allowed a run in the fifth inning, largely because he became the first pitcher in the majors to record an eighth-inning out on two separate occasions in 2018. He's looking like the true ace on the Athletics' staff with a 1.15 ERA over his first two starts. The key to his success Wednesday: he threw 64 of his 94 pitches for strikes.

Carlos Martinez, Cardinals (vs. Brewers)

CarMart very nearly finished the Brewers off single-handedly, but just couldn't close out the ninth. It wasn't entirely his fault, as a Yairo Munoz fielding error helped put two Brewers on base. Martinez had his good stuff working, though, as evidenced here:

This made up for a more erratic opener, in which he issued six free passes and didn't finish the fifth.

Patrick Corbin, Diamondbacks (vs. Dodgers)

The Dodgers' offense has been struggling, but Corbin was dominant. The lone batter to even reach base while he was on the mound was Matt Kemp, who managed a double and a walk. Otherwise, they couldn't touch the lefty hurler. His slider, in particular, was borderline unhittable.

Jon Gray, Rockies (vs. Padres)

Great pitching and the Colorado Rockies have never been synonymous, but that may be changing. Gray made easy work of the Padres' lineup, with only Cory Spangenberg registering an extra-base hit. He executed with pinpoint accuracy, not once hurting his cause with walks.

Luis Severino, Yankees (vs. Rays)

Severino allowed only one earned run through his first seven innings of work, with a late one plating in the eighth on a Denard Span sacrifice fly. The young right-hander, who showed he can rebound after a shaky start, was impossible to figure out. Even when he allowed baserunners, he either forced the next batter to ground into a double play or punched him out.

On a day when the Yankees flexed their offensive muscles, Severino's efforts shouldn't be lost in the shuffle.

These five starters combined to yield only three runs through 37 innings pitched, while striking out 40 helpless hitters.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)