Rays bullpen emphatically delivered in their first must-win moment of postseason in Game 2

Just like that. It’s all tied up. The Tampa Bay Rays took down the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 to capture Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. It's now effectively a best-of-5, with each team taking a game at Tropicana Field.

Freddy Peralta gave the Rays exactly what they needed, tossing six shutout innings. After that, it was up to the bullpen to preserve the lead they inherited. 

If there was any anxiety when another arm came in, it’s understandable. 

In Game 1, the bullpen had a total meltdown. After they were handed a 2-2 tie in the top of the seventh inning, they allowed three runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth. While only two pitchers were charged with runs, four arms played a role in a winnable game slipping away. 

For many, the thought was Here we go again. The Rays bullpen posted a 3,99 ERA in the regular season, which was middle of the pack in baseball (14th out of 30).

Even the bullpen's first inning of work in Game 2 didn’t inspire much confidence. Kevin Kelly got into a jam, and Ian Seymour was able to come in and help limit the damage to just one run. In the eighth inning, the Guardians were still getting the barrel on the ball, but the defense was there to back up Seymour when he came out to cover another inning. 

Bryan Baker, with 44 saves between the regular season and postseason, slammed the door on the game to depart from St. Pete, Fla., with a statement made. The Rays will hit the road three wins away from their third American League pennant. 

While they've gotten the job done before this postseason, this was their first must-win. Before, they had the luxury of it being Game 1 or having a series lead. Not this time. If they went down 2-0, it would be a steep hill to climb. For now, they step up.

A strong Rays bullpen is crucial to a World Series run

It’s the postseason. Gone are the days when a starter can go out there and deal for nine innings. Manager Kevin Cash has a longer leash for Drew Rasmussen, but he’s an exception to the norm. 

Getting to and winning the World Series requires winning a chess match where the pieces on the board are different arms at a manager’s disposal. 

The Rays have had two games now where they capitalized on a single rally, and then nearly every other frame saw them post goose eggs. It requires the pitching side to pick up some extra slack. 

Yes, a team should be able to rely on its offense for more than one good inning per game. Plating well beyond three runs has been a normal occurrence for the Rays this season. Better yet, in the best-case scenario, both the bats and the bullpen click in unison. 

But that's not how this season has transpired for the Rays.

The bats and rotation had to make sure they were on their A-game, so they could absorb what could be coming from the bullpen. Over 162 games, that works well enough. In a best-of-7 postseason series, it’s harder to overcome it. 

Sometimes, you need to finish off the low-scoring game. The bullpen has to finish the job. In Game 2, they did just that. They gained some new momentum. Now, they have to carry it to Cleveland for Game 3.  

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