ALDS Game 2 Diary: Can we keep this up!?

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

The Rays have dialed up some fantastic first pitches to this series, and today that meant Carlos Pena with a special guest!

Top 1

Uncle Charlie lives up to his name with a curveball that is on. Two base runners ain’t no thang when hitters line out to short or strikeout on the breaking stuff.

Bottom 1

Arozarena single through the left side, then Choi taps out to... wait a second the throw from Altuve was LOW!!!

Manuel Margot steps up and WHAMMY!

THREE RUN LEAD IN THE FIRST!

Top 2

Uncle Charlie is in trouble again — two on, two out, both runners in scoring position — and Manuel Margot just went AWOL!!!! OVER A WALL!!!!!

HE CAUGHT THAT BALL!!!

HOLY CRAP!

Bottom 2

Lance McCullers settles in with a great change up that’s carving up the Rays hitters but I’m still thinking about Margot.

Is he ok? Is he going to stay in the game?

Top 3

OMG Margot is taking the field!

Uncle Charlie’s got this. He starts with a single to Atluve, but gets easy outs, including a strikeout by Brantley on a curve.

Bottom 3

Yips!!! Brandon Lowe is on first base on ANOTHER errant throw to first base by Altuve!

Arozarena singles again because of course he did.

The Rays don’t do anything else this inning, but three run lead, right?

Top 4

Another inning where Morton allows two base runners, another inning that Adames is the difference maker, with a great stop in the shift and throw to first.

I mean, Nick Anderson was warming up like a mad man, but we good.

Bottom 4

Uhh... McCullers is solid. Can the Rays find a way to acquire this Tampa kid?

These are the jammies McCullers wore to bed at night.

Offense is sleepy now.

Top 5

No base runners this time and Adames gets the third out on ANOTHER BACKHAND!

The Kid is unstoppable today.

Bottom 5

Zzzzz...

Top 6

Pete Fairbanks is here! First pitch? Flyout. Next batter though ....... shutout over. Carlos Correa, who has been HOT this postseason.

3-1 Rays

It’s fine.

Bottom 6

This game is flying by! McCullers puts the Rays to bed again, he’s at 85 pitches.

Top 7

Fairbanks needed 9 pitches last frame, so he’s back and he’s freaking dealing!

Bottom 7

Welp, McCullers is once again dealing so I guess we just need to accept that he’s going to cruise, right?

NOPE ZUNINO TIME

That first round pedigree shines!

4-1 Rays

Top 8

Aaron Loup returns to the mound after his nerve-wracking game last night. 2 pitches gets him the first out, and Ji-Man Choi flashes the leather for the second out.

A single through the left side to the left handed Tucker is diminishing this handedness advantage Loup supposedly has...

This time Cash doesn’t leave in Loup, and Ryan Thompson gets called into the game, getting the easy ground out.

Bottom 8

I mean the Rays ain’t hitting. IDK what else to say about it, but the vibe is still riding high, because Nick Anderson is warming up again.

Top 9

ANDERSON TIME.

Josh Reddick singles the first pitch he sees, a fastball above the zone. Ain’t no thang.

Next up, the poorly hitting Yuli Gurriel. Groundball to Wendle and the throw to first bounces..... Under Ji-Man’s glove???

Snyder gives a mound visit, and the Astros are looking hungry in that dugout.

Aledmys Diaz... singles. Bases loaded??? Anderson knows he is the best reliever in baseball, right???

Next at bat is a double play ball, which nets two outs but scores one.

Next up:

Jose Altuve walks on FOUR PITCHES.

Michael Brantley walks on FOUR PITCHES.

THE BASES ARE LOADED AGAIN. TWO OUTS IN THE NINTH. WHAT IS THIS!?

AAAAAAAND flyball to KK. What was that!?

Good thing Anderson has ice in his veins!