ST. PETERSBURG -- It was hardly the environment that Cam Schlittler and the Yankees expected arriving at Tropicana Field for the first game of the American League Division Series.

ST. PETERSBURG -- After the Rays’ regular-season finale last Sunday at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, manager Kevin Cash summoned his starting rotation for a brief meeting to run through their pitching plans for the American League Division Series. Well, “brief” might not even do it justice.

ST. PETERSBURG -- American League Cy Young Award front-runner Cam Schlittler said Saturday afternoon what his incredible numbers away from Yankee Stadium would already suggest: He likes pitching on the road. More specifically, he likes the feeling of “silencing” someone else’s home crowd. But he wasn’t worried about that as

ST. PETERSBURG -- Sitting behind a table inside a mostly quiet Tropicana Field on Friday afternoon, Rays ace Drew Rasmussen tried to make it sound simple. The complex science and mysterious art that is pitching in the Major Leagues, he said, isn’t that complicated. “I'm a pretty big believer that

ST. PETERSBURG -- When Matt Garza took the mound at Tropicana Field on July 26, 2010, the Rays had been on the wrong end of no-hit history four times in the previous eight years. About two years later, Félix Hernández threw the 23rd perfect game in Major League history against

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Yankees and Rays have shared the field for plenty of memorable moments, tightly contested games and deeply rooted disagreements over the years. They are natural rivals in the American League East, pitting New York’s history and high-payroll dominance against Tampa Bay’s ingenuity and lower-budget success. They’ve

ST. PETERSBURG -- On Saturday morning, the Rays set their roster for the American League Division Series, including 14 position players, 12 pitchers and no real surprises.

ST. PETERSBURG -- It seems like the Rays’ three biggest injury concerns coming out of the regular season are no longer a concern.

ST. PETERSBURG -- The last time Tropicana Field was in the national spotlight was nearly two years ago. Roof open and ripped apart, pieces scattered around the exposed field and seating area, the dome stood as the most visible symbol of the destruction and devastation that Hurricane Milton inflicted upon

The American League East’s two best teams will meet in the best-of-five AL Division Series, starting with Game 1 Saturday between the Yankees and Rays at 6:30 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field. Let’s take a look at how the pitching rotations might line up:

ST. PETERSBURG -- Erik Neander believed in the Rays team he assembled earlier than most, of course, and Tampa Bay’s president of baseball operations said as much during an unplanned speech before Opening Day at Busch Stadium.

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays found themselves in an unusual position this week. They were practicing and preparing for the American League Division Series, putting their heads together and planning ahead for whatever the best-of-five series might bring.

ST. PETERSBURG -- After two disappointing years, the Rays are back in the postseason and back atop the toughest division in baseball.

ST. PETERSBURG -- How will the Rays line up their rotation for the American League Division Series behind Game 1 starter Drew Rasmussen? Stay tuned.

ST. PETERSBURG -- There are many ways to describe Rays ace Drew Rasmussen. He is tremendously talented. He is metronomically consistent. He is remarkably motivated. He is doggedly dedicated to his craft. He is still, somehow, even as a two-time All-Star, incredibly underrated.

ST. PETERSBURG -- There are few players in baseball as electrifying or entertaining as Rays third baseman Junior Caminero. He swings hard. He hits the ball hard. He hits the ball a lot. He plays hard. He plays a lot, having started at third base this season in each of

A previous version of this story was initially published last week in Adam Berry’s Rays Beat newsletter. To read the original newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

PHILADELPHIA -- The 162-game marathon is over. Next comes the sprint through October.

PHILADELPHIA -- Junior Caminero has put up a lot of big, impressive numbers as the best player on the American League’s best team. There are three that mean a lot to him: 40, 100 and 162.

PHILADELPHIA – Rays starter Griffin Jax exited Saturday night’s 12-1 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park after taking a 104 mph comebacker off his lower back in the third inning. Jax sustained only a lower back contusion, and he does not expect the injury to affect his postseason

PHILADELPHIA – It looks like the next time we’ll see Chandler Simpson will be in his postseason debut next weekend. The Rays’ speedy left fielder was not in the starting lineup on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park after fouling a ball hard off the top of his right foot

PHILADELPHIA -- This weekend’s series at Citizens Bank Park doesn’t really matter for the Rays. They have clinched everything they can clinch. They’ll have nearly a week to recover, rest, set their roster and set up their pitching plans before the American League Division Series begins. But they recognize how

NEW YORK -- The Rays haven’t made any decisions regarding their starting rotation for the upcoming American League Division Series, manager Kevin Cash said Thursday afternoon. They have time, with more than a week to go before Game 1 on Oct. 3, and they have options.

NEW YORK -- The Rays have won the American League East race. They just haven’t technically reached the finish line yet. They still have four more regular-season games to play after Wednesday night’s 9-2 loss at Yankee Stadium. But aside from potentially boosting their chances for home-field advantage in the

NEW YORK -- Back in Spring Training, the preseason predictions and projection systems were skeptical of the Rays. After consecutive fourth-place finishes, they were widely picked to finish last in the American League East this year.