The Tampa Bay Rays are AL East champions once again. Tuesday night in the Bronx, Tampa Bay beat the New York Yankees 6-1 to clinch the franchise’s fifth division title and the No. 1 seed in the American League playoffs. Drew Rasmussen was brilliant, allowing just one hit over 6 2/3 innings, while Yandy Díaz powered the offense with four RBIs on a pair of two-run singles.
At 96-61, the Rays lead the Yankees by six games with only five to play. It’s the earliest division clincher in team history, a testament to a roster that keeps winning without the payroll of baseball’s biggest spenders. The Yankees, meanwhile, spent much of the season without Aaron Judge due to a fractured rib and calf injury, and they couldn’t keep pace in the division race.
There’s still one piece of unfinished business. Milwaukee leads Tampa Bay by two games for the best record in MLB, and that race decides home-field advantage if the two meet in the World Series. With the playoffs approaching, the road through the American League runs through Tampa Bay.
Where will you be watching the Rays in October? Let us know in the comments.
