Back to even...
At times it looked like a repeat of Game 1 with a solo homer holding up in a 1-0 lead and with
Jose Alvarado blowing another lead, but this time the offense came up big in overcoming the blown save with a pair of 8th-inning runs and despite
Matthew Peguero's best efforts to blow a second lead in the same game the Rays held on to a 5-4 win and evened up their ALDS with the Angels.
Jose Ramirez gave the Rays another outstanding pitching effort and when
Mason Auer came up with a 2-run double in the 7th to make it 3-1 it looked like the win would be in hand. But it wasn't so easy as Alvarado gave up the big hit again, a 2-run homer to let LA even it up. Thankfully
Carson Williams kept the 8th alive with a walk, stole second, and scored on
Shea Langeliers' single while
Luisangel Acuna knocked in Langeliers. That last run proved huge when Peguero, who despite racking up 39 saves wasn't quite the lockdown closer we'd like him to be, gave up a leadoff homer in the 9th but hung on. There was one injury though -
Joe Quelch, whose pinch-double in the 7th led to Auer's 2-run double, tore his hamstring on the play and is done for the season. So we head to Anaheim not knowing what we'll get from
Taj Bradley in a couple of days but here's hoping it's something good.
As for the rest of today's DS action:
