TAMPA -- The hits came one after another in the second inning Thursday afternoon, all with two outs against Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt. First there was a fly ball by Hunter Feduccia that fell in, then a hard-hit grounder to center by Carson Williams. Burly Bob Seymour hustled to first base for an infield single, and speedy Chandler Simpson’s popup landed in shallow center field.
Brandon Lowe punctuated the inning with an RBI single, making him the odd man out in the Rays’ early rally. The first four two-out singles came from rookies, the players who may benefit most from playing postseason-bound competition down the stretch of a season that will end earlier than Tampa Bay would prefer.
The kids played a big role in the Rays’ second straight win, as Simpson had three hits to move his average above .300 and Williams also crushed a solo homer in Tampa Bay’s 4-0 victory over Toronto at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
“We want those guys to get used to winning and not just rolling out there and laying down and losing,” starter Shane Baz said. “We know that we have a lot of our future here, and yeah, we just want to make sure that they have the right culture and the right mindset and they get used to winning.”
The youth movement supported a strong pitching performance by Baz (five innings) and relievers Griffin Jax, Kevin Kelly, Garrett Cleavinger and Bryan Baker. The staff only allowed four hits and two walks while striking out six, and the Blue Jays didn’t get a baserunner to second base until the eighth inning.
Baz and the bullpen handed the Jays their first shutout since June 13 and helped secure a series split against the team with the American League’s best record. Meanwhile, the Rays’ victory delayed their official elimination by at least another day.
"I think we played a very good series. We won two games, and then we had two games that were, with one swing of the bat, maybe the outcome changes,” manager Kevin Cash said. “It doesn't change anything, but that's how we're going to look at it now."
Indeed, as the Rays evaluate what has gone wrong this season, it’s also time for them to look for silver linings and find reasons to believe things will be better next year. Playing well against playoff contenders -- like the Jays and the Red Sox, who will visit Steinbrenner Field this weekend -- can only help inexperienced players learn what a postseason race feels like in the Majors.
“Toronto is a great team with a lot of vets and a lot of experience,” Simpson said. “The fact that we're able to start rallies, get on base and score some runs versus them, the future looks bright, for sure.”
Simpson put together his second straight three-hit game, raising his average to .301. He is the second Rays player in club history to bat .300 or better in his first 100 career games with an at-bat; Rocco Baldelli was the first.
If he can keep it up, Simpson -- who’s stolen 42 bases -- could become only the ninth rookie since 1901 to bat .300 or better while stealing at least 40 bases. The only other player to accomplish that feat since 2004? Mike Trout, who hit .326 with 49 steals during his sensational rookie campaign in 2012.
“He's a tough guy to keep down [for] long with his speed and the contact ability. He puts so much pressure on defenses,” Cash said. “He's doing some good things, hitting line drives to all fields. He's very committed to making himself the best possible hitter at the plate, just as he is on defense.”
Simpson led off the first inning with a double, lofted Bassitt’s 1-1 curveball to center to drive in two runs during the second-inning rally, then singled again in the sixth. He’s had his ups and downs, as all young players do, but he’s hit his stride again lately, going 15-for-30 over his last eight games.
“Just sticking to an approach, and the game just kind of rewarded me from the hard work and my approach,” Simpson said. “I'm glad it's falling.”
Williams, getting a chance to play regularly at shortstop down the stretch in his first taste of MLB action, led off the sixth with his fourth big league home run. The 109.5 mph missile traveled a Statcast-projected 402 feet out to left field and displayed the power that gives the top prospect such intriguing upside.
Something to dream on? For now, at least.
“I know from being in here and what everybody's saying that everybody wants to finish up the year on a super strong note,” Williams said. “It's just the type of baseball we want to play around here.”