ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Rays’ last homestand of the 2024 season gets underway at Tropicana Field on Tuesday evening against the Red Sox, who are in for three games. That will be followed by a three-game weekend series versus the Blue Jays that will put an end to the home portion of the schedule.
The season concludes next week with a six-game trip to Detroit and Boston.
The Rays (73-77) are all but mathematically eliminated from the wild card race and are on the verge of having their string of five consecutive playoff appearances snapped. They are six games behind Minnesota for the third and final wild card spot with four teams to hurdle and 12 games remaining.
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Tampa Bay will have a hand in determining the outcome of the wild card race given there are six games remaining with the Red Sox and three with the Tigers. Detroit enters play Tuesday night 1.5 games behind Minnesota for the final wild card spot and Boston, a long shot, is four games behind with three teams to climb over.
The Rays are coming off a 10-game road trip (4-6) against three of MLB’s top teams in Baltimore, Philadelphia and Cleveland. Much of the same theme that has played out this season prevailed on the trip: strong pitching and a challenged lineup, especially with runners in scoring position. Tampa Bay is last in the majors (.212) in such situations.
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Though things have not gone nearly as well as hoped this season, manager Kevin Cash is pleased with how his club continues to go about its work.
“Impressed with the effort, which is never in question,” he said. “I am impressed with the way these guys, since the (trade) deadline, have competed.”
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