One strike away.
That’s how close Ryan Pepiot was, not once but twice, to escaping the sixth inning unscathed on Wednesday night in Toronto. Instead, one 0-2 pitch turned a night of promise into another gut-punch loss for the Tampa Bay Rays. Alejandro Kirk, down to his final strike, launched a three-run homer that flipped a 1-0 Rays lead into a 3-1 deficit. It was just Kirk’s third home run of the season, and it was all the Blue Jays needed to secure a victory and even the series.
Pepiot’s performance deserved a better outcome. He was in control through five innings, silencing Toronto’s bats and asserting his dominance. He struck out seven and pitched well enough to win. In a tight, low-scoring game, sometimes it only takes one pitch to swing the momentum and the game. That pitch was a misplaced 0-2 fastball that sucked all the oxygen out of the Rays’ chances to win.
The Rays’ offense got on the board first, which is a rare treat this season, but they came into the game 10-4 when it happened. Kameron Misner delivered an RBI single in the fourth inning to score Christopher Morel. Misner’s hit came after Morel had stolen second and advanced to third on a throwing error, providing Pepiot and the Rays with a 1-0 lead.
One is the loneliest number, and usually not enough to win.
That inning could have been bigger. Jose Caballero followed Misner with a double, setting the table with runners on second and third. However, Travis Jankowski grounded into a fielder’s choice to second, resulting in Jankowski getting tagged out at home, and Danny Jansen grounded out to pitcher Chris Bassitt to end the rally. The Rays settled for one run when they could have had more. They needed more.
Earlier, the Rays had chances but also fell short. Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda hit back-to-back singles in the first inning, but Morel’s pop-up ended the threat. Chandler Simpson was caught stealing after an infield hit in the third, a costly out considering that Brandon Lowe followed with a double.
Meanwhile, Pepiot was dealing, but a win wasn’t in the cards. He induced double plays and got timely strikeouts. With two Blue Jays on base in the fifth, Pepiot struck out Jonatan Clase and got Bo Bichette to ground out, preserving the 1-0 lead.
Then came the bottom of the sixth. Pepiot walked Vladimir Guerrero Jr. after jumping ahead 0-2, which was harmless as a standalone event. He rebounded to strike out Anthony Santander and caught George Springer looking. With two outs and Guerrero Jr. at first, Daulton Varsho blooped a single into right, pushing Guerrero to third and setting the stage for Kirk to overcome an 0-2 count and give the Blue Jays the lead.
Pepiot finished with 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, and 1 HR on 92 pitches.
Eric Orze held the Jays scoreless the rest of the way. Misner added a highlight-reel sliding catch in the eighth to save two more runs. But the Rays’ offense was nowhere to be found. After a Brandon Lowe single in the fifth, Tampa Bay did not record another hit in the game.
Chris Bassitt earned the win for Toronto, despite allowing seven hits in 5.2 innings. Brendon Little, Yariel Rodriguez, and Yimi Garcia combined for 3.1 hitless innings to lock down the victory.
The Rays will send Zack Littell to the mound in the series finale tomorrow, hoping to salvage a series win.
