What a game...
In what will go down as a postseason classic, at least in the Tampa Bay area, the Rays tied it up with two out in the 9th and scored in the bottom of the 10th with two out to take a 3-2 win over San Diego and the series lead by the same margin. Once again MacKenzie Gore (who shut out the Rays in Game 1) was a tough customer with only a Heston Kjerstad solo homer allowed in his 6 innings. Meanwhile Matt Peacock, left off the postseason roster at the start of the playoffs, pitched very well and would have been in better shape had the Rays not made two errors in the 2nd, the second of which was a Brandon Lowe muffed grounder which would have got them out of the inning but allowed the game's first run to score. The Padres rallied again in the 7th off Shane McClanahan and with a man in scoring position up stepped Fernando Tatis Jr. once again. So we turned to Devin Williams, who should have faced him in Game 3 and got him out in a key situation in Game 4. Advantage Tatis this time as he delivered an RBI single to put the Padres up 2-1. The Rays loaded the bases in the 8th but couldn't score and so we headed to the bottom of the 9th. With one out Austin Meadows singled, then took second on a grounder to first. Down to their final out and looking at having to go to San Diego to win two, Kjerstad came to the plate and delivered a clutch RBI single to center to tie it up. Justin Dunn came on for the 10th and found himself in immediate trouble with the first two men reaching, but he got a fly ball and a double play grounder to escape, bringing us to the bottom of the frame. Vidal Brujan led off with a hit by pitch and after Wander Franco struck out for the third time today, Brujan stole second. Randy Arozarena walked, but Adley Rutschman whiffed so once again we were at 2 outs when Lowe atoned for his costly error by delivering his own single to center to score Brujan as it instantly became pandemonium at the Trop. The Rays now head back to San Diego with two chances to win it all, and Tyler Glasnow will get first crack to put it away.
There was one transaction before the game as Colin Poche was put on the 60-day IL with his torn rotator cuff and rookie Taj Bradley was activated. Things will have to go very wrong, very right or very long to see him in action.