The Rays came into the game riding a season-high six-game winning streak. Fresh off an impressive sweep against the Mariners, they catapulted themselves back into the hunt for the last wild card spot. They sat only 2.5 games back, though the Rangers, Royals, and Guardians were all in the mix. In tonight’s matchup, Rays ace Ryan Pepiot (3.70 ERA, 1.15 WHIP over 28 starts) squared off against Florida native Logan Allen (4.42 ERA, 1.44 WHIP in 26 starts).
The Rays started the game hot yet again, as they scored a run in the first inning for the third consecutive game. Cristopher Morel hit a two-out RBI single, Junior Caminero scored, giving the Rays a 1-0 lead after the opening frame.
In the fourth inning, the Rays got runners in first and second with no outs. With one out, Nick Fortes hit a deep drive to left field, which would move the runners to second and third. With two outs, rookie Carson Williams hit an RBI single to double the lead. The Rays led 2-0.
On the pitching side, Ryan Pepiot was phenomenal; his fastball and change-up combo were very sharp. He finished his outing with five no-hit innings and six strikeouts; however, due to his high pitch count, Kevin Cash decided to go to the bullpen.
In the sixth inning, the Rays built another threat as Jake Mangum and Cristopher Morel repeated the same formula from the fourth. Both reached base with no outs, and with a grounder to second, Josh Lowe drove in the third run. Two batters later, Carson Williams laid down a perfect bunt to extend the lead to 4-0.
The bullpen has been a key component in this mini-playoff run. They have helped the Rays keep their lead every single time, and today was no different. Baker, Clevinger, and Uceta combined for three clean innings along with six strikeouts. However, Pete Fairbanks struggled at the end of the game as he allowed back-to-back homers to Jose Ramirez and Kyle Manzardo. After the small hiccup, Pete was able to close the door, and the Rays extended their winning streak to seven, as they beat the Guardians 4-2.
