Fired-up Simpson delivers game-shifting blow for Rays in 'gutsy comeback'

ST. PETERSBURG -- Chandler Simpson slapped the ball to left field, scrambled out of the batter’s box and immediately pointed into the Rays’ dugout. He shouted as he jogged down the first-base line, pumping his arms at his sides, then roared and pumped his fist after stepping on the bag.

Believe it or not, Simpson is generally a pretty quiet guy. But he’ll get himself amped up for “big situations,” he said, “where I know the team needs it.” And they needed this one.

“Just kind of blacked out right there,” Simpson said afterward, grinning. “Hyped for the game and the team.”​

That energy radiated from the American League-leading Rays’ dugout to every corner of Tropicana Field on Saturday evening, as Simpson’s RBI single capped a wild seventh-inning comeback in Tampa Bay’s 7-6 win over the Padres before a crowd of 25,621.

It was the Rays’ 81st victory of the season and their 33rd in come-from-behind fashion. They’ve done this before. But even apart from the context of extending the club’s AL East lead over the Yankees (76-59) to five games with 27 remaining, they felt like it was an important game to win.

“That was a gutsy comeback, man. That was great,” starter Nick Martinez said. “That's a big win, man. Especially this time of the season, right? They stayed in the fight, man. They kept the energy up and made things happen for us.”

But after 6 1/2 innings, the Rays were in a tough spot.

Martinez had already given up a pair of one-run leads, and the Padres pulled ahead by three against relievers Garrett Cleavinger and Kevin Kelly in the seventh. With San Diego’s shutdown bullpen getting ready to go, and closer Mason Miller looming, it seemed the momentum had swung away from Tampa Bay.

But the Rays have made a habit out of turning the improbable into reality, and they did it again in the seventh.

The top of the Rays’ lineup had done the heavy lifting until then. Yandy Díaz hit a leadoff double and scored on a single by Liam Hicks in the first inning. Jonathan Aranda clobbered a Statcast-projected 453-foot solo shot on top of the batter’s eye in the third. Junior Caminero ended his 15-game homerless drought and extended his career-best hitting streak to 12 games with a game-tying blast in the sixth, his 36th of the season.

But it was the light-hitting bottom of the lineup that got things started in the seventh, with Tampa Bay trailing, 6-3. Richie Palacios worked a walk against right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez, then Cedric Mullins and Taylor Walls reached on singles to load the bases.

“They take a 6-3 lead, then you've got to think -- just with how talented their bullpen is -- our backs are kind of against the wall,” manager Kevin Cash said. “But the guys stayed at it.”

Up came Díaz, who ripped a 108.9 mph line drive off the wall in center field. Palacios scored easily, but Mullins had held up at second in case the ball was caught, leaving him at third as the ball came in to Padres second baseman Luis Rengifo. Walls, in turn, was stuck between second and third.​

Walls stood still, forcing Rengifo to chase after him. Then Mullins broke for the plate, prompting an off-balance throw from Rengifo -- who was seriously injured on the play -- that sailed toward the backstop. Mullins slid home, then Walls followed suit, roaring and pumping his fists.

“I mean, it's ‘Oh [no], we just blew it. Like we had three [on] as the tying run, and I just blew it,’” Walls said. “And then it turned into, ‘Oh, my God! I just tied the game up.' … And it happened in about a second and a half.”

With pinch-runner Jorge Mateo at third and one out, the Padres wisely issued an intentional walk to Caminero before pinch-hitter Ryan Vilade struck out. That brought up Simpson with two outs and dominant lefty Adrian Morejon on the mound.

“That's a nightmare of an at-bat,” Martinez said. “Some would say criminal.”

Simpson said his only goal was to drive in the runner from third. He knew Morejon can bring the heat, so he stayed within his approach and slapped a 99.7 mph fastball to left field, matching the raucous crowd’s response with one of his own.

“Always seems he's way more animated on the field than he is in the locker room, that’s for sure,” Walls said, smiling.

Kelly returned to pitch a clean eighth inning, and closer Bryan Baker picked up his Major League-leading 39th save -- and his 28th in a row -- to finish the game.

Big win. Big moment. Big energy.

“Every win is big,” Simpson said, “but definitely a win like this … showed the resilience of the team.”