CLEVELAND -- Chandler Simpson, the speedy spark plug in Tampa Bay’s lineup, is living up to his reputation during the American League Championship Series. And if the Rays are going to get their offense fully going -- which, in turn, would ideally put them in a better position to win the series -- they likely need the 25-year-old outfielder to keep this going.
Tampa Bay’s offense was largely quiet during Thursday afternoon’s 3-2 loss to Cleveland in Game 3 of the ALCS at Progressive Field. But Simpson did his part, driving in the club’s pair of runs with a two-out triple off electric right-hander Gavin Williams in the fourth inning.
It was the second straight game in which Simpson was at the center of a Rays rally in the fourth. After not starting Game 1 at Tropicana Field (when the Guardians sent left-hander Foster Griffin to the mound), the left-handed-hitting Simpson was in the lineup for Game 2 and contributed a key single during a three-run inning that lifted Tampa Bay to a 3-1 win.
In Game 3, Simpson’s contribution was much louder.
Williams put Simpson in an 0-2 hole with a pair of sweepers -- one that landed in the zone for a strike, then another low and inside that induced a whiff. After taking a similar sweeper for a ball, Simpson was ready to pounce when Williams delivered a fourth straight sweeper. And though it was inside, Simpson turned on it and laced it to right field, giving the Rays a 2-1 lead.
“I was just trying to just put something in play, move the ball forward,” Simpson said. “Glad I was able to execute.”
It’s not surprising that he did. Simpson hit .306 with 16 doubles, six triples, 38 RBIs and 46 stolen bases over 151 games during the regular season, as his combination of bat-to-ball skills and blazing speed makes him a constant threat in the middle of Tampa Bay’s order, especially in those types of spots.
“That's the thing with Chandler: When he gets behind in the count, I think he's such a complete hitter, 2-0 or 0-2 for him, doesn't matter,” manager Kevin Cash said. “You can't say that about a lot of hitters, but he hangs in there, and I think it's probably one of the hardest balls he's hit all season long.”
With an exit velocity of 102.1 mph, Simpson’s triple was actually his hardest-hit non-ground ball in his two-year, 265-game MLB career (including both the regular season and postseason). He also had a 100 mph groundout in the second, marking the first time he had multiple batted balls recording exit velos of 100-plus in the same game.
Simpson became only the second player in Rays history to notch a triple and two RBIs in a playoff contest, joining Carl Crawford, who also had one three-bagger and a pair of RBIs during a 5-for-5 performance in Game 4 of the 2008 ALCS in Boston.
At the time, Simpson’s hit felt like it might end up being the biggest of the day.
“[Williams] was on a roll,” Simpson said. “And the fact that we were down at the time and that put us up, it gave us a lot of momentum, and a momentum shift going into the next inning and the rest of the game.”
However, Tampa Bay did not keep it going from there. Simpson was stranded on third to end the top of the fourth, with Williams striking out Liam Hicks swinging to finish the frame.
The Guardians then retired 16 of the Rays’ final 17 batters. Richie Palacios hit a one-out double in the eighth, but pinch-runner Jorge Mateo was left standing on third to end the inning.
“Really good pitching, mixing up things well, keeping everybody off-balance, and great defense as well,” Simpson said of Cleveland. “So it’s hard to find holes and things like that when you do put the barrel on the ball. That’s just a testament to their team.”
It isn’t surprising how this series has gone, with Cleveland and Tampa Bay alternating wins in tight, competitive affairs. Games 2 and 3 have been especially close and low-scoring, as the two clubs have combined for only nine total runs over that span.
In order for Simpson and his Rays to come out on top, they’re going to have to outplay an opponent that also prides itself on clean baseball centered around pitching, defense and opportune hits.
“It’s really like we’re looking in the mirror almost. And against our best pitchers, they’re having great ABs and they’re putting the ball in play and moving the ball forward and they’re picking their pitches, stealing bags and playing great defense,” Simpson said. “So we knew that it was going to be a dogfight, and we’re going to have to play our game similarly as well. It’s really just who plays their game to the best of their capability.”