Rays 7, Blue Jays 6 (F/10): Signs of Life, Though!

 

someday, Vladdy; someday

Usually I am the first—and maybe even the most!—to find extra-innings losses horrendously crushing, and yet this one I feel weirdly good about? Patrick Corbin got BABIP'd pretty badly for four runs in his four-and-a-third innings (this is to take nothing away from the Rays, who are scoring loads of runs this year whilst barely hitting for any power; they're just dunking it in and whipping around out there [it's very pleasing baseball unless it is happening against you]), and then Jeff Hoffman really gave up quite a homer to Ryan Vilade (a player who I swear has only existed since yesterday), so we were down five, and seemingly done. However! A two-out, five-run rally in the seventh! Very much aided by (the admittedly wonderful) young Junior Caminero kicking it around at third a bunch, but still! What I liked best about it, though—and what I liked about the run the Blue Jays scored in the tenth, too—was how, even though he is really going through it right now, Vladdy had just a tonne of support when he came to bat (the people love to chant "Vladdy," and in fact insist on it), and even though the results were not October 2025 postseason blasts to infinity, Vladdy nevertheless hit the ball hard and productively in each instance. He stole a base, too! He's three-for-three on the year at that! This loss was honestly more cheering than some recent wins, as odd as that might sound, and the most cheering thing of all for me really was how much everybody loves Vladdy. I like being around that.    

KS