TORONTO -- The Rays’ spot in the postseason is locked in.
When the Orioles clinched their first American League East title since 2014 on Thursday night, they claimed the AL’s No. 1 seed and solidified the Rays’ standing as the top AL Wild Card club. Nothing that happens this weekend at Rogers Centre will change that.
But the Blue Jays moved a step closer to securing a spot as the Rays’ Wild Card Series opponent on Friday night, as Toronto dealt Tampa Bay a lopsided 11-4 defeat. That dichotomy makes this weekend unusual for a number of reasons. For one, the Rays essentially have nothing to play for. They’re also likely headed toward a first-round matchup with the Blue Jays, so they don’t want to show too much of their game plan in this series.
- Games remaining (2): at TOR
- Standings update: The Rays (97-63) have clinched the top American League Wild Card spot as the No. 4 seed in the AL. They will host a best-of-three Wild Card Series beginning Tuesday at Tropicana Field.
As a result, the Rays will rest some regulars and carefully deploy their top bullpen arms in this series to make sure everyone is ready for next week. They’ll continue “prioritizing the young guys,” manager Kevin Cash said Friday afternoon, and try to “create some positive momentum” heading into Tuesday’s postseason opener.
So, what is there for the Rays to accomplish during their final series of the regular season? Let’s take a look.
Pitching plans
The Rays are unofficially set to start Tyler Glasnow in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, followed by Zach Eflin in Game 2. Right-hander Aaron Civale is slated to start Game 3, if necessary, presumably with everyone available behind him in a scenario where Tampa Bay’s season is on the line.
That means starters Zack Littell and Taj Bradley could begin the postseason coming out of the bullpen, as they did Friday night.
Erasmo Ramírez gave up six runs (four earned) on eight hits while covering three innings between Littell and Bradley. By using Civale, Littell and Bradley on Friday, with callups expected to fill bulk-inning roles during the final two games, the Rays ensured all three will be available during the Wild Card Series next week.
“Just want to explore everything we possibly can heading into the postseason,” Cash said.
Civale recorded five outs on 40 pitches while facing Toronto’s lineup just once, avoiding additional exposure to the Jays’ hitters he may face with the season on the line next week, then threw 35 more pitches in the bullpen.
“Physically, [I] felt good,” Civale said. “Just wanted to keep the volume up so whatever's asked upon me next time, I'm ready for it.”
Littell, who has plenty of experience out of the bullpen, gave up three runs over 1 1/3 innings while facing 10 batters. Bradley allowed a run on two hits while making his first big league relief appearance in the seventh, although he said he learned to develop a flexible routine in the lower levels of the Rays’ system.
“I think everything's kind of on the table right now,” Littell said. “See what need arises, whether that'd be in the bullpen, whether it be starting, but I think anything could happen.”
Get healthy
Friday night brought good and bad news for the Rays on the injury front.
First, the good: Yandy Díaz returned to the lineup, said he felt good after exiting last Sunday’s game due to tightness in his right hamstring and showed it by going 2-for-2 with a walk and a two-run homer in the sixth inning. Díaz’s exit in the seventh was a manager’s decision, the Rays said, not due to a recurrence of his hamstring issues.
But there are still two health questions hovering over the Rays: Will Jose Siri (fractured right hand) and Luke Raley (cervical strain) be ready in time? Before Friday’s game, Cash said Siri and Raley are “progressing” without setbacks, giving themselves a chance to crack the postseason roster. But both decisions seem likely to come down to Tuesday’s 10 a.m. ET deadline to announce the series rosters.
Additionally, rookie infielder Osleivis Basabe exited after 7 1/2 innings due to a sore left shoulder he banged up while trying to field Bo Bichette’s RBI double.
Achievements and accolades
Josh Lowe reached a notable milestone on Wednesday, going deep to give himself a rare 20-homer, 32-steal, 30-double campaign. There are other accomplishments for the Rays to check off, some individual and a few as a team.
Now hitting .330, Díaz has a chance to catch Corey Seager and claim the AL’s top batting average; it would be the first time a Rays hitter has ever won a batting title. Isaac Paredes is three RBIs short of becoming the fifth player in franchise history with a 30-homer, 100-RBI season.
Additionally, the Rays are two homers shy of matching their single-season home run record of 228, set in 2017. And they are one victory away from breaking a tie with the 2008 club for the the second-highest win total in franchise history, behind only the 100-win 2021 team.