Rays 3 Astros 4: Chandler Simpson, steal home!

Is it better to stage a comeback and then watch the game slip away? Or to never come back at all?

The first four innings of this game were all Astros. They scored three runs in the first two innings, but had runners on base in the other innings (their only one-two-three inning was the eighth). They could well have scored more but Danny Jansen was able to catch two runners trying to steal second.

But after all that, Rays starter Ryan Pepiot did manage to pitch six innings allowing only the three runs. He gave up eight hits, but only walked one.

The Rays meanwhile had pretty much no offense. Houston’s starter Colton Gordon gave up a leadoff hit to Yandy Diaz, and then proceeded to mow down Rays hitters. This looked like it would be a very lopsided game.

But in the fifth inning, Brandon Lowe singled, and Danny Jansen brought the Rays within one with a 90mph EV pop-up home run, one of those “only a home run in two parks” sort of dingers.

And then the Rays tied the game in the sixth, on a pair of doubles courtesy of Yandy Diaz and Jose Caballero.

But the short porch giveth and the short porch taketh away.

After tying the game, the Rays went to reliever Manuel Rodriguez and his first pitch was a pop-up “only a home run in two parks” that gave the Astros the lead. The inning could have been worse but for two very good catches in by Christopher Morel in left field.

The Astros have pretty much the best bullpen in baseball, so I figured a one-run deficit would be hard to overcome. And of course that turned out the be the case, but not for lack of chances.

In the seventh inning, the Rays had runners at first and second, and they moved up a base each on a double steal. But a strikeout and ground out later, the inning was over. They also got Junior Caminero to second base in the eighth, but he was left there.

In the ninth inning, Chandler Simpson reached on a catcher’s interference call, and knowing what he is like on the bases we all perhaps got a “so you’re saying there’s a chance?” feeling.

Sure enough, he moved to second on a ground out.

He stole third, and was there with one out.

Surely Taylor Walls could find some way to get him home?

Nope, Walls tried to bunt but popped it up for an unproductive out. And of course that left the game in the hands of the Rays worst hitter (quite an accomplishment on a team of terrible hitters) who was out on a foul pop-up.

It seems to me that it would have been a higher percentage move to have Simpson try to steal home than to think Walls or Rortvedt were going to drive in the run.