Tuesday, 3 a.m.
It’s no fun, getting hit in the head with a baseball bat.
On the other hand, it beats losing.
Ask Rays’ catcher Rene Pinto, who was struck in the skull by former Tampa Bay player Jake Bauer in the ninth inning Monday night, helping to preserve a 1-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
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The Rays were hanging onto to their 1-0 lead in the ninth, but the Brewers had runners on second and third. Bauer struck out, but the ball squeezed through Pinto’s legs and allowed the tying run to score. However, Bauer was called out — and the play ruled dead — when his backswing struck Pinto in the head.
It preserved a narrow win for the Rays, one that helped to erase a three-game sweep by the Chicago White Sox. Ryan Pepiot pitched six innings of two-hit, shutout baseball to lead the win. He struck out seven.
But the pitching performance everyone will remember was Jason Adam’s first save of the year. He gave up a leadoff double to Sal Frelick, a walk and a double steal. But after striking out Bauer, he struck out Blake Perkins on three pitches.
The Rays looked as if they could have blown the game open in the first when they started the game with a hit batter and two walks. But the only run they could manage was when Isaac Paredes hit into a double play.
The Rays and Brewers play again tonight at 7:40 p.m. in Milwaukee. Tyler Alexander will start for the Rays against Freddy Peralta.