Rays Finally Proved They Can Do This Against Elite Pitching

The Tampa Bay Rays might have just answered one of the biggest questions surrounding their offense heading into the postseason.

Can they produce against elite pitching when they need it most?

Tampa Bay picked up its 81st win of the season on Saturday with a 7-6 comeback victory over the San Diego Padres, and while the Rays have found plenty of ways to win games this season, this one felt a little different.

Especially with how they did it.

The biggest concern for Tampa Bay's offense recently has been the bottom of the batting order. When players like Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero aren't producing, who is going to help them? A recipe we've seen happen a few times earlier this summer when the team was in one of their biggest slumps.

On Saturday, the Rays got their answer.

After falling behind 6-3 in the seventh inning, Richie Palacios started things off with a walk before Cedric Mullins and Taylor Walls each picked up singles.

Just like that, the bases were loaded with nobody out, and Diaz was coming to the plate.

That's exactly what Tampa Bay needs from the bottom of its lineup.

They don't necessarily need Walls, Mullins, or Palacios to be the players driving in three or four runs every night. They need them to find ways to get on base and give the top of the order opportunities to do damage.

Diaz did exactly that, hitting a ball 108 mph off the center-field wall and helping Tampa Bay erase the three-run deficit.

However, it wasn't just the bottom of the order that made Saturday encouraging.

It was who the Rays did it against.

San Diego has one of the better bullpens in Major League Baseball, and Tampa Bay has struggled at times this season when facing some of the league's better pitching.

That could become a major problem in October.

However, the Rays showed Saturday that they can produce against those arms.

Tampa Bay continued to battle before Chandler Simpson eventually picked up the go-ahead RBI against one of the Padres' toughest relievers.

That's something the Rays are going to need once the postseason arrives.

There aren't going to be many easy pitchers to face in October, and Tampa Bay can't rely solely on Caminero hitting home runs or Diaz and Aranda carrying the offense.

The entire lineup has to contribute.

Saturday was only one game, but seeing the bottom of the lineup create opportunities and the Rays capitalize against one of baseball's better bullpens should give fans some confidence. Consistency from this unit, especially in the 7 through 9 spots, would go a long way for the belief in this club with September call-ups right around the corner. 

If Tampa Bay can continue getting that type of production throughout the lineup, this offense becomes much more dangerous heading into October.