ATLANTA -- The Rays entered Thursday with a chance to seal their 15th series sweep of the season and potentially clinch a trip to the postseason.
Both will have to wait for another day.
Locked in a scoreless duel with the Braves for most of the afternoon, the Rays blinked first in the eighth inning and dropped the series finale, 3-1, at Truist Park.
The Rays can still secure their spot in the American League playoff field as soon as Friday night, when they return to Tropicana Field to begin their final regular-season homestand against the Astros. If the Rangers lose in Seattle on Thursday or the White Sox lose to the Pirates, the Rays will be one victory away from clinching.
As much as Tampa Bay wanted to complete a sweep of the National League East-leading Braves and continue pushing toward an AL East title, there is something to be said for the possibility of clinching on your home field and celebrating in your own clubhouse.
“Should be some good energy at home,” starter Nick Martinez said. “We put ourselves in a good spot, and [we’re] looking forward to taking care of business when we get home.”
That won’t come easily, either, as the Rays are set to face the AL West-leading Astros this weekend and the likely postseason-bound Red Sox next weekend in their final regular-season home series. They must also fend off the Yankees, who are 3 1/2 games back in the division race with 16 left to play.
But the Rays have been one of the Majors’ best teams at home all season, with a 47-25 record at Tropicana Field, and they played well on this trip by splitting a four-game series in Texas before winning this series in Atlanta.
“One game at a time,” left fielder Chandler Simpson said. “Make sure we focus on every pitch, getting ready for the postseason and make sure we're just locked in for everything.”
With a little help, the Rays could have punched their ticket by winning Thursday. Instead, after a pair of convincing victories, they were stymied by Atlanta’s pitching staff before reliever Kevin Kelly gave up three runs on four straight hits in the eighth.
Pinch-hitter Ozzie Albies began the Braves’ go-ahead rally with a triple to right-center field, then he scored when Austin Riley singled through the Rays’ drawn-in infield. Mike Yastrzemski followed with a ground-rule double to right, and Ha-Seong Kim swatted a two-run single to center.
“They had a really good approach. I feel like I mostly executed when I wanted,” Kelly said. “There were a few big misses that I wasn't happy with, but other than that, I think they just did a good job putting the bat on the ball.”
One rally was enough, because both veteran starting pitchers were brilliant all afternoon.
Martinez cruised into the seventh inning, throwing only 68 pitches as he retired 18 of the 20 batters he faced. He gave up a pair of singles to Matt Olson (in the first inning) and Kim (in the sixth), then erased Kim with a quick pickoff move to first.
“I cannot say enough about how Nick Martinez threw the ball, how efficient he was,” manager Kevin Cash said. “Gave us every opportunity.”
Although Martinez didn’t allow a runner to reach second base, he was pulled by Cash after retiring Ronald Acuña Jr. to lead off the seventh. Lefty Cam Booser came in to retire the left-handed-hitting Olson and Michael Harris II, both of whom lined out to right field.
Cash said the decision came down to the score and wanting to have a lefty face Olson and Harris their third time up, and Martinez took no issue with the early exit.
“It’s late in the game, tight ballgame. We have a lot of confidence in our bullpen,” Martinez said. “Booz did a great job taking care of the two lefties coming in.”
The Rays had an easier time getting on base against Braves left-hander Martín Pérez, but they found no more success scoring runs as he worked seven scoreless innings. Tampa Bay’s run came in the ninth, when Victor Mesa Jr. hit his 12th homer of the season and the first of his career as a pinch-hitter.
In fact, the Rays’ best opportunity came and went right away. They loaded the bases in the first inning on a trio of singles by Yandy Díaz, Ryan Vilade and Jonny DeLuca, bringing up Simpson with a chance to take an early lead. But Simpson hit a grounder to first, and the Braves turned an inning-ending 3-2-3 double play to escape the jam.
“I put good wood on it, just right to him,” Simpson said. “Matt Olson just made a smart play, and the cards didn't fall in our favor.”