A bullpen in a china shop: Rays 6, A’s 5

That got too close for comfort.

Happy Wednesday, everyone, and it’s a fine day to watch some baseball. The Rays continued to play host to the A’s, and today’s game saw Ryan Pepiot on the mound for the Rays, up against Mitch Spence for the A’s.

In the top of the first, with two outs, Brent Rooker tilted things in the A’s favor with a solo home run. After the homer, Pepiot issued back-to-back walks to Nick Kurtz and Max Muncy, but only the one run scored. However, it was enough to put the A’s on the board first. In the home half, the Rays went down in order.

In the second, Luis Urias was able to reach thanks to an error by Junior Caminero, however he was soon eliminated by a double play off of Colby Thomas. Then Max Schuemann hit a solo homer. Denzel Clarke walked, then stole second, but once again the home run was the only run of the inning. In the home half, Jake Mangum hit one of the most delightful and rare treats of a season: an inside-the-park home run.

While it was the only Rays run of the inning, it sure was a fun one, and also cut the A’s lead in half.

The A’s went 1-2-3 in the top of the third. In the bottom of that inning, the Rays settled for a two-out single from Josh Lowe, but no runs scored.

The fourth was another 1-2-3 for the A’s, but it’s worth taking a moment to enjoy this sick play from Taylor Walls.

In the home half, Yandy Diaz got a leadoff single, but a strikeout and double play ended the inning.

Schuemann singled to start the fifth, then advanced to second on a sac bunt by Clarke. Two outs followed to end the inning with no additional runners.

In the bottom of the fifth, Matt Thaiss got a single, but was ultimately left stranded.

Austin Wynns was the sole A’s baserunner in the sixth, with a two-out single. Then in the home half the Rays finally got it together and Josh Lowe kicked off the inning with a home run to tie up the game. Brandon Lowe followed that with a double, then Diaz homered to put the Rays up 4-2.

Hogan Harris came in to replace Spence. Junior Caminero doubled, and though the A’s contested the call at second, they were overruled and the call on the field stood. Chandler Simpson then got a two-out single to score Caminero.

Simpson stole second, because he’s Simpson, so of course he did (his 23rd of the season), and then Thaiss singled to bring Simpson home. That was the last scoring play of the inning but oh my what a good sixth it was.

Kevin Kelly came out in the seventh to replace Pepiot, and with a nice little buffer in the score on his side. He got the A’s out in order. With two outs in the home half Elvis Alvarado replaced Hogan Harris, and it’s possible the A’s have the best-named bullpen in the majors. Alvarado got the final out of the inning.

Eric Orze was next out of the Rays’ pen for the eighth, and got the A’s three-up, three-down. The Rays likewise went down in order in the home half.

Max Muncy opened the ninth with a solo home run. Wynns followed that with a double. Edwin Uceta replaced Orze in the hope of stopping the bleeding, and Gio Urshela singled to score Wynns. All this without a single out in the inning yet. Schuemann got a one-out single, then a pinch-hitting Lawrence Butler singled to load the bases. Tyler Soderstrom singled to score Urshela. The Rays were ultimately able to pitch out of the jam and end the inning clinging to the win, but it got way too close for comfort at the end.

Final: Rays 6, A’s 5