BOSTON -- The Rays officially secured their fifth straight trip to the postseason 10 days ago, albeit under awkward circumstances. They clinched their spot in the playoffs at the same time as the Orioles, thanks to a loss by the Rangers, but didn’t exactly feel like celebrating after a crushing, 11-inning defeat at Camden Yards.
They wanted to party at some point, though. To pop bottles of Aubert et Fils Brut Champagne and shower each other in Budweiser. To take a moment to appreciate everything they’ve done, even if their list of accomplishments all but certainly won’t include the American League East division title they set out to win.
So after capping a two-game sweep with a 5-0 victory over the Red Sox on Wednesday night, the Rays let loose inside the visitors’ clubhouse at Fenway Park. Players, coaches and staff put on their ski goggles and “TAKE OCTOBER” T-shirts, soaked each other with booze and filled the air with cigar smoke.
“What these guys accomplished deserves to be celebrated. Incredibly proud of them,” manager Kevin Cash said. “It's been a different year, but 97 wins and counting -- you've got to celebrate it. Really proud of this group.”
“I know it's different. I just told the guys, 'We're different. We're the Rays.'”
- Games remaining (3): at TOR
- Standings update: The Orioles (99-59) hold a 2 1/2-game lead over the Rays (97-62) for first place in the AL East, with a magic number of one to clinch the division and a chance to win it on Thursday. Baltimore also controls the head-to-head tiebreaker against Tampa Bay. The AL East champion will be the No. 1 seed and get a bye into the Division Series. The second-place team will be the No. 4 seed and host a Wild Card Series.
- Postseason status: Clinched a playoff berth and home-field advantage in their first series
It was an odd scene, if only because the Rays didn’t actually accomplish anything new in Wednesday’s win. They mostly picked this night because they’re off Thursday before beginning their final regular-season series on Friday against the Blue Jays.
They were going to celebrate, then chuckle through the annual rookie dress-up trip on their flight to Toronto, whether they won or lost at Fenway Park.
“I was really hoping we were going to win,” Cash said, smiling.
They did, thanks to a strong tune-up start by Tyler Glasnow (five innings, two hits, nine strikeouts) plus homers by Josh Lowe (his 20th of the season) and Isaac Paredes (his 31st, which gave him 97 RBIs on the year). Some players seemed unaware the party was in store until they reached the clubhouse afterward, while others had been in on the plan since Tuesday.
“I think we deserved tonight to appreciate what we've done all year long, what we've battled through, what we've overcome,” Lowe said, “and what we're going to do in the future.”
“It's definitely fun,” Glasnow added. “It's all been all pent-up, so everyone's having a good time.”
General manager Peter Bendix said the belated celebration was a “group decision,” one he felt the team had earned. Wednesday was Tampa Bay’s 97th win of the season, tied with the 2008 American League championship club for the second-most in franchise history behind the 100-win 2021 squad.
And the Rays have overcome a lot to get to this point. Their rotation is missing Shane McClanahan, Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen due to season-ending elbow injuries. Their lineup has been depleted by a series of recent injuries. All-Star shortstop Wander Franco remains on indefinite administrative leave.
“You look around that room -- it's a different group than what we broke with,” Cash said. “It's a different group than it was at the All-Star break. But we're going to make it work.”
Only five players have been on the active roster since Opening Day: Randy Arozarena, Christian Bethancourt, Isaac Paredes, Colin Poche and Harold Ramírez. They’re relying down the stretch on young players thrust into more prominent roles.
Yet here they are, with the AL’s second-best record, back in the postseason for a fifth consecutive year.
“Every time you make the playoffs, it's a really cool thing. And it might be the last time for anybody in this room,” Bendix said. “So when you make the playoffs, it's an accomplishment that you celebrate. It's a little weird that we celebrated tonight, but in my opinion, it's the right thing to do -- and I think the guys are having a great time.”
That much was apparent in the number of empty bottles and cans spread around the clubhouse. In the smiles on their faces, from veterans like Jake Diekman and Zach Eflin to rookies like Taj Bradley and Junior Caminero. And in the way they spoke about this year’s club.
“This is about us and being able to celebrate with the people in the room and getting to do that with a pretty good group,” reliever Pete Fairbanks said.
They hope it won’t be the last time.
“Get to the playoffs, that's what this signifies,” Yandy Díaz said through interpreter Manny Navarro. “The most important part is [to] get in the World Series so we can keep on celebrating.”
Senior Reporter Adam Berry covers the Rays for MLB.com and covered the Pirates from 2015-21.