‘A strange feeling’: Rays eliminated
What had seemed inevitable for weeks became official on Wednesday night.
With a 7-1 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park, the Rays were officially eliminated from the postseason race. For the first time since 2018, the playoffs will proceed without Tampa Bay.
The Rays’ second consecutive defeat against Detroit dropped their record to 78-80 with just four games remaining. Although they managed to stay in contention until the final week of the season, it is now mathematically impossible for them to catch the Tigers or Royals, who are both 84-74 and tied for the second and third American League Wild Card spots.
“Unfortunate. Not how we wanted it at the start of the season, but we are where we kind of played and how we performed,” manager Kevin Cash said. “But I think there’s certainly optimism finishing strong and going into next year, for sure.”
This outcome seemed likely for some time, at least since an up-and-down first half led the Rays to emerge as sellers at the Trade Deadline. They have spent the entire season hovering around .500, going 48-48 before the All-Star break and 30-32 since.
“It’s strange,” infielder Brandon Lowe said. “The six years I’ve been here, we’ve never had that happen. We’ve always been fighting for a spot in the postseason. So it’s a strange feeling to say that. It’s a strange feeling to look at four more games and them not be crucial games for position in the postseason. I don’t think it’s going to sit well with anybody in here.”
Since the end of the 2018 season, the Rays haven’t played a game that was considered “meaningless” in terms of postseason contention. However, there is still something at stake as they conclude their series in Detroit and then travel to Boston: they need to win all their remaining games to achieve a seventh consecutive winning season, or win at least three of their last four games to avoid their first losing season since finishing 80-82 in 2017.
“Nobody in here is excited about it, but I think it’s crucial to show up and keep playing,” starter Zack Littell said. “These games still matter, so I’m confident the guys will come in and give their best effort to finish strong.”
The game that eliminated the Rays was a fitting example of why they won’t be participating in October. With their lineup quiet once again, their pitching and defense needed to be nearly flawless to secure a win.
The Rays are currently 29th in the Majors for runs scored this season, with only the White Sox below them at 591 runs. Since the All-Star break, they have achieved a 3.19 team ERA, which ranks second only to the Tigers‘ impressive 3.07. However, they have struggled offensively, averaging just 3.47 runs per game in the second half.
On Wednesday, Tampa Bay made several mistakes on the mound, allowing the red-hot Tigers—who have won 13 of their last 16 games—to capitalize. In his first full season as a Major League starter, Littell reflected on “grinding through some challenges” after giving up three runs in 4 2/3 innings, which ended his 20-inning scoreless streak.
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