Chandler Simpson, Ian Seymour spark Rays' victory vs. AL-leading Blue Jays

Nicolas Villamil, Tampa Bay Times on Sep 17, 2025

Published in Baseball

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TAMPA, Fla. — Chandler Simpson was everywhere, and Ian Seymour was locked in as the Rays beat the Blue Jays, 2-1, to end a three-game skid.

Simpson delivered the game-winning single in the seventh inning, kept the Rays in the lead with his heroics in center field and used his speed to score the game’s first run.

Seymour, making only his fourth career major league start, threw 100 pitches over seven innings and allowed four hits. The only run that scored against him was unearned.

Simpson started the bottom of the first with a line drive to center field. He used every bit of his speed to reach second base safely and notch his 12th double of the season.

Yandy Diaz scored Simpson on the first pitch he saw to give the Rays an early lead against right-hander Kevin Gausman, who went the next five innings without allowing a run.

The Rays ran into trouble in the fourth inning, but were able to limit the damage, largely thanks to Simpson.

Seymour walked Davis Schneider to start the inning. Then a Carson Williams throwing error on a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ground ball that could have been a double play set up the Blue Jays with runners on the corners and no outs.

Alejandro Kirk barreled a ball to the right-center-field wall after that, but Simpson, who is playing more in center as the season winds down, made a leaping catch to save a three-run homer and limit the damage of Williams’ error to one run. Kirk’s sacrifice fly, which traveled 407 feet and left his bat a 105.9 miles per hour, tied the score.

Williams, who was hit in the stomach by a Diaz single in the third, redeemed his error with a double in the bottom of the seventh to set up Simpson’s winning RBI.

Wednesday’s game was first delayed by inclement weather in the area, pushing back the start time from 7:05 to 7:25, and then for 15 more minutes after the top of the first inning because home plate umpire Brian O’Nora left the game with a stomach illness. Mike Estabrook replaced O’Nora behind the plate, and the game resumed with only three umpires.