One strike away.
That’s how close Ryan Pepiot was, not once but twice, to escaping the sixth inning unscathed on Wednesday night in Toronto. Instead, one 0-2 pitch turned a night of promise into another gut-punch loss for the Tampa Bay Rays. Alejandro Kirk, down to his final strike, launched a three-run homer that flipped a 1-0 Rays lead into a 3-1 deficit. It was just Kirk’s third home run of the season, and it was all the Blue Jays needed to secure a victory and even the series.
Pepiot’s performance deserved a better outcome. He was in control through five innings, silencing Toronto’s bats and asserting his dominance.