ST. PETERSBURG — Chandler Simpson delivered a two-out, go-ahead RBI single off dominant lefty Adrian Morejon in the seventh inning Saturday evening, capping a four-run rally that gave the AL-leading Tampa Bay Rays a 7-6 comeback victory over the San Diego Padres before 25,621 at Tropicana Field.
The win was the Rays’ 81st of the season and their 33rd in come-from-behind fashion, extending their AL East lead over the Yankees (77-59) to 4 1/2 games with 27 remaining. Simpson, who slapped a 99.7 mph fastball to left field, erupted with a fist pump and a shout toward the dugout — unusual for a player teammates describe as reserved. “Just kind of blacked out right there,” Simpson said afterward. “Hyped for the game and the team.”
The Rays trailed 6-3 entering the bottom of the seventh after relievers Garrett Cleavinger and Kevin Kelly surrendered a three-run lead. Richie Palacios drew a walk against right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez, then Cedric Mullins and Taylor Walls singled to load the bases. Yandy Díaz ripped a 108.9 mph line drive off the center-field wall, scoring Palacios. A baserunning scramble followed — Mullins had held up at second, leaving Walls caught between bases — but Padres second baseman Luis Rengifo’s off-balance throw sailed toward the backstop, allowing both Mullins and Walls to score and tie the game at 6.
“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.”
The Padres intentionally walked Junior Caminero with pinch-runner Jorge Mateo at third and one out, and pinch-hitter Ryan Vilade struck out before Simpson’s decisive hit. Caminero had already made his mark, ending a 15-game homerless drought with a game-tying blast in the sixth — his 36th of the season — extending his career-best hitting streak to 12 games. Jonathan Aranda launched a Statcast-projected 453-foot solo home run in the third, and Liam Hicks drove in Díaz with a first-inning single.
Starter Nick Martinez, who had surrendered a pair of one-run leads before the bullpen faltered, praised the clubhouse fight. “That was a gutsy comeback, man. That was great,” 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.”
Manager Kevin Cash acknowledged the challenge of facing San Diego’s shutdown bullpen and closer Mason Miller. “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,” Cash said. “But the guys stayed at it.”
Simpson, whose go-ahead single drew a roar from the Tropicana Field crowd, kept his postgame assessment characteristically brief. “Every win is big,” Simpson said, “but definitely a win like this … showed the resilience of the team.” The Rays close their series against the Padres with the rubber game at Tropicana Field on Sunday.