Tampa Bay Rays

Coming off Saturday's travel day, the two American League Division Series resume Sunday.

The Houston Astros can sweep the Chicago White Sox out of the playoffs and clinch a berth in the ALCS for the fifth consecutive year. They have outscored the AL Central champs 15-5 through the first two games of the series.

In the other series, the Boston Red Sox stormed back to life with a 14-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 2 to even things up before the first game at Fenway Park.

In anticipation of these games, here are some daily fantasy projections to keep in mind if you want to add more drama to the proceedings.

---

Sunday Odds

Tampa Bay Rays -104 (wager $104 to win $100) at Boston Red Sox -112

Houston Astros +104 at Chicago White Sox -122

Odds via FanDuel.

---

DFS Advice

Pretty much any hitter in Houston's lineup would be worthy of starting in your DFS lineup. They led MLB in runs scored during the regular season and have carried that over to the first two games of the ALDS.

Since we have to single out one player to take, though, allow yourself to be steered in the direction of Carlos Correa. The two-time All-Star has three hits in six at-bats and two RBI in the series already.

That only adds to the legend of Correa's history as a high-level postseason performer.

Astros SS Carlos Correa has 50 career postseason RBI, which ranks 7th on MLB’s all-time list.
That list that includes Hall of Fame names like David Ortiz (61), Albert Pujols (54) and Reggie Jackson (48)...Correa has 50 in just 64 games, with an .877 career postseason OPS. #khou pic.twitter.com/OaEYsNSyYi

— The Bishop (@BillBishopKHOU) October 8, 2021

Until the White Sox figure out a way to consistently get Correa out, he's as safe a bet as anyone to have an excellent single game.

In the other dugout, Luis Robert might be the surest thing to do something special in MLB right now.

After returning from a torn hip flexor Aug. 9, Robert hit .350/.389/.622 with 12 homers in 180 at-bats over 43 games to finish the regular season. He's carried that over to the playoffs with five hits in seven at-bats against the Astros.

Luis Robert has been more or less the best player in baseball since coming back from the hip injury.

— Joe Sheehan (@joe_sheehan) October 8, 2021

Houston is sending Luis Garcia to the mound against the White Sox in Game 3. Robert had an .860 OPS and seven homers against right-handed pitching during the regular season.

The Red Sox-Rays series features many offensive stars. While that would seem to indicate picking two hitters as the way to go, pivot in a different direction for Boston.

Nathan Eovaldi will make his first appearance in the series after pitching 5.1 innings in the AL Wild Card Game against the New York Yankees. The All-Star right-hander had the best season his career in 2021, posting a 3.75 ERA with 195 strikeouts in 182.1 innings over 32 starts. 

Nathan Eovaldi is rolling 😤

He's got 7 Ks through 5 shutout innings 🔒 pic.twitter.com/FtQvnA9Z3v

— ESPN (@espn) October 6, 2021

Since these teams play in the same division, Eovaldi has had a lot of exposure to the Rays. He had a 2.39 ERA with 31 strikeouts and 15 hits allowed in 26.1 innings across four starts against Tampa Bay.

Wander Franco, the possible AL Rookie of the Year, has been a hitting machine since the start of August. He had a .323/.383/.506 slash line over his final 41 games in the regular season.

In two playoff games, Franco is 4-for-8 with two doubles. One potential drawback for the 20-year-old is his overall performance against right-handed pitching. He had just a .696 OPS against them in 183 at-bats during the regular season.

Rather than be concerned about that, though, just think of it as a small sample put up by a rookie who is the youngest player in MLB this year.

Franco has been the Rays best hitter down the stretch and has carried that over into his first postseason.

The Boston Red Sox lived a charmed life in the American League Wild Card Game on Tuesday, beating the New York Yankees in a 6-2 contest in which the good bounces were plentiful and scares were scarce.

The Tampa Bay Rays took all the charm for themselves in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.

The final from Tropicana Field on Thursday was 5-0 in favor of the Rays, but this is a case of a score that undersells how one-sided the game was. According to FanGraphs, the only time the win expectancy chart was in the Red Sox's favor was when Kyle Schwarber's infield single in the first inning gave them a 50.3 percent chance.

After that, the Rays took over by doing what they did during their first 100-win regular season. They didn't give the Red Sox a single inch while helping themselves to as many as they wanted, including the 1,080 that Randy Arozarena traversed on his electrifying steal of home plate in the seventh inning:

🚨 RANDY STEALS HOME!!!!! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/c9aKjhCZme

— MLB (@MLB) October 8, 2021

Oh, and Arozarena also homered. Because in case anyone missed what he did last year, that's yet another service he offers in October.

The Rays' reward? A 1-0 series lead that somehow feels more like a 100-0 advantage.

---

Rays Players of the Game

• LHP Shane McClanahan: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K. The hard-throwing left-hander in his first career postseason start became the youngest pitcher with at least five scoreless, walk-less innings in a debut.
• LF Randy Arozarena: 1-for-2, HR, 3 R, 2 BB, SB. His home run heroics in the playoffs already had him rubbing elbows with all-time greats, so channeling Jackie Robinson was just as much him showing off as it was him padding his team's lead.
• SS Wander Franco and DH Nelson Cruz: 3-for-8, HR, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R: Franco's RBI came on a first-inning double, and Cruz's RBI came on a catwalk-aided solo homer in the third.

---

Red Sox Players of the Game

• RHP Nick Pivetta: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. The 2-0 hole the Red Sox fell into with lefty starter Eduardo Rodriguez only got steeper on Pivetta's watch, but the innings he ate could loom large in Game 2.
• DH Kyle Schwarber: 2-for-4. Between his two singles and three hard-hit balls, he was the closest thing the Red Sox had to a hitting star. 

---

An Unstoppable Force Meets a Movable Object

Though the Red Sox lost the season series to the Rays 11-8, they were outscored by only two runs. If one was so inclined, one could look at that and conclude Boston gave the American League's winningest team a hard time.

In actuality, not really. The Red Sox didn't win another series against the Rays after sweeping a three-game set at Fenway Park in the first week of April, and the run differential was skewed by Boston's 20-8 drubbing Aug. 11.

It was therefore hard to look at this particular ALDS and see avenues through which the Red Sox could grab easy wins. Surely, their wins would have to come by way of flawless execution and maybe a few lucky bounces.

They got neither in Game 1.

Naturally, the Red Sox mostly have themselves to blame for their flawed execution. A bobble by center fielder Enrique Hernandez opened the door for Arozarena to score on Franco's first-inning double. And while Arozarena certainly showed off his speed when he stole home, even Boston manager Alex Cora had to hand it to him for catching lefty fireman Josh Taylor napping:

#RedSox Cora on #Rays Arozarena steal of home: “A great baseball play.”

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) October 8, 2021

On the other side of the ball, the Red Sox outhit the Rays 9-6. But all nine of those hits were mere singles, and their one and only knock in seven at-bats with a runner in scoring position came courtesy of the lone gift the Rays granted them in letting a pop-up by Xander Bogaerts drop to load the bases with one out in the eighth. A strikeout and a pop-out quickly ended that rally.

Equally frustrating, however, was how many of Boston's hardest-hit balls went for naught. The team had nine batted balls of at least 95 mph go for naught, which is territory that few other teams have been unlucky enough to find in October during the seven-year Statcast era.

Mind you, it wasn't all bad luck that turned those rockets into outs. It's a wonder the Red Sox hit anything through the Rays defense, as Tampa Bay's shifts seemed guided not so much by projections as crystal-ball predictions.

Of course, that's the Rays for ya. Defense was one of their calling cards during the regular season, wherein they placed third in the AL in defensive runs saved and trailed only the Houston Astros in allowing a .281 average on balls in play.

Game 1 was likewise a showcase for Tampa Bay's arms. McClanahan and the three relievers who followed him didn't throw a single fastball slower than 91 mph, thereby keeping the Rays on the velocity-paved path that guided them to a stellar 47-25 sprint to the finish in the second half.

And the Rays had an elite offense in place even before they took off after the break, as they outscored everyone from Franco's debut June 22 through the end of the season. Perhaps they were never feared like the Toronto Blue Jays, but they're probably your favorite pitcher's least favorite offense to face.

Or definitely, if your favorite pitcher is Marcus Stroman:

The Rays have always been one of my least favorite teams to face. Scrappy and relentless at the plate. They grind out at-bats all game until pitchers give in to their plan of attack. Every hitter is capable of going deep but can also beat the shift. Tough lineup to navigate! @MLB

— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) October 8, 2021

So in case their romp through the regular season didn't do the trick, Game 1 of the ALDS was perhaps the best argument the Rays have made that the team they have in 2021 is even better than the one they had in 2020.

Considering that the latter won two-thirds of its regular-season games and went to the World Series, that's saying something.

---

What's Next for Red Sox-Rays?

Tampa Bay will look to stretch its advantage to 2-0 on Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:02 p.m. ET on FS1.

The pitching matchup will be seven-time All-Star lefty Chris Sale for the Red Sox and rookie right-hander Shane Baz for the Rays. That's a mismatch on paper but maybe not so much in practice.

Sale's initially triumphant return from Tommy John surgery hit a snag in the final weeks of the regular season, when he was hit at a .292 clip over his last five starts. Though inexperienced, Baz is an elite prospect with stuff that's perfectly worthy of the Rays.

The Red Sox could get a big boost if slugger J.D. Martinez's sprained left ankle allows him to play. Cora reportedly said there's a strong possibility of that happening, which will do for a much-needed silver lining for Boston while it licks its wounds after Game 1.

---

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

In a battle between division rivals, the Tampa Bay Rays drew first blood.

The American League's No. 1 seed earned a 5-0 win over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday at Tropicana Field in the AL Division Series.

The Rays took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI double from Wander Franco and an RBI single by Yandy Diaz. Nelson Cruz made it a 3-0 game when he hit one of the stadium's catwalks.

18 career #postseason homers for @ncboomstick23 💪 pic.twitter.com/79DAlgysI0

— MLB (@MLB) October 8, 2021

Randy Arozarena continued his quest to wrest the title of "Mr. October" away from Reggie Jackson. He scored three runs, the last of which came on a steal of home in the seventh inning.

Randy Arozarena is the first player to steal home in a #postseason game since 2016 😳 pic.twitter.com/a9Qvf8Bgfg

— MLB (@MLB) October 8, 2021

The Red Sox finished with nine hits—three more than the Rays—but went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.

---

Notable Performers

Shane McClanahan, SP, Rays: 5.0 innings pitched, five hits, three strikeouts

Randy Arozarena, LF, Rays: 1-for-2, three runs, one home run, one RBI, two walks

Wander Franco, SS, Rays: 2-for-4, one run, one double, one RBI

Nick Pivetta, RP, Red Sox: 4.2 innings, four hits, three earned runs, two walks, four strikeouts

---

McClanahan Passes First Postseason Test

Shane McClanahan had a solid rookie season, finishing 10-6 with a 3.43 ERA and 3.31 FIP in 25 appearances, per Baseball Reference. Playoff baseball can be a different animal, though.

The left-hander wasn't overawed by the occasion, and that was apparent in the first inning as he hit triple digits on the radar gun to punch out Rafael Devers.

💯 to end the first.

Shane McClanahan is LOCKED IN. pic.twitter.com/A81zX2D0QP

— MLB (@MLB) October 8, 2021

With the Rays up three runs, the Red Sox were knocking on the door in the fifth inning. Christian Arroyo singled with one out, and McClanahan's pitch count was climbing toward the 80s, a number he hit only 12 times in the regular season.

Enrique Hernandez popped out to first and Kyle Schwarber grounded into a fielder's choice as Tampa Bay avoided any damage. That was McClanahan's final inning in a strong outing.

Rue the day your team has to face this McClanahan fellow.

— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) October 8, 2021

Shane McClanahan is only the 10th pitcher in AL/NL history to throw 5+ scoreless innings without a walk in his first career postseason start.

At 24 years and 162 days old, he's the YOUNGEST to do so, ahead of ...

Christy Mathewson, who was 25 years and 58 days in 1905 WS G1!!!

— Jason Catania (@JayCat11) October 8, 2021

Arozarena was the hero for Tampa Bay last playoffs when it captured its second AL pennant. He had a .377/.442/.831 slash line and 10 home runs in 20 games.

Based on Thursday night, Arozarena may be on his way to another big postseason. He took Nick Pivetta deep in the fifth inning.

OH MY RANDY JUST DESTROYED THAT BALL pic.twitter.com/PimMPemvrb

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 8, 2021

Randy Arozarena was made for October. pic.twitter.com/azzyoNatkf

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 8, 2021

Most HR in 19-game span, postseason history:

1923-32 Babe Ruth: 12
2020-21 Randy Arozarena: 11
2004-06 Carlos Beltrán: 11
1997-2001 Jim Thome: 11 (2 overlapping spans)
1926-32 Babe Ruth: 11

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 8, 2021

Stealing home was the cherry on top. The 26-year-old clearly flips an internal switch when the calendar changes over to October. 

Looking at the bigger picture, a quality start, a collective relief effort and timely hitting by Arozarena like the Rays got is a recipe for another trip to the World Series.

---

Red Sox Missing Martinez

Although Red Sox manager Alex Cora included J.D. Martinez on the ALDS roster despite his sprained left ankle, it's clear the four-time All-Star isn't at 100 percent. Cora said his role would be limited to pinch-hitting duties for at least Game 1.  

Boston didn't miss Martinez much in the AL Wild Card Game thanks to early home runs by Schwarber and Xander Bogaerts. The Sox could've used his power in the middle of the lineup in Game 1 because it's difficult to string singles together against the Rays' excellent defense.

Pretty much every batted ball the Red Sox have tonight has been a hard one. But nothing to show for it, because of bad luck and downright excellent defensive positioning.

— Zachary D. Rymer (@zachrymer) October 8, 2021

The Red Sox haven't had consecutive hits tonight. Only consecutive batters to reach base included an error by the Rays.

— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) October 8, 2021

Red Sox have hit the ball fine tonight. Not great, no no-doubters, but should have more on the board than they do. The Rays are just so good defensively and if you're not hitting the ball over the wall (or off the stupid catwalk F the Trop) they're gonna make a play on it.

— Matthew Kory (@mattymatty2000) October 8, 2021

The eighth inning summed up the Red Sox's struggles. Bogaerts hit a fly ball off the catwalk that fell in for a single to load the bases with one out. Devers, the team leader in homers and RBI, struck out on four pitches, and Hunter Renfroe fouled out to end the inning.

---

What's Next?

Tropicana Field will host Game 2 on Friday at 7:02 p.m. ET. Shane Baz is the scheduled starter for Tampa Bay, and Chris Sale will get the nod for Boston.

The road to the World Series in the American League runs through Tampa Bay.

The Tampa Bay Rays clinched the No. 1 seed in the AL playoffs and home-field advantage with a 7-0 victory over the Houston Astros on Wednesday. Drew Rasmussen allowed a single hit in five shutout innings, while Brandon Lowe and Ji-Man Choi spearheaded the offensive effort with home runs.

With home-field advantage now in their back pocket, the Rays will face the winner of the single-elimination AL Wild Card Game. They also have the chance to set their rotation and capitalize on the advantage having the No. 1 seed provides.

After all, the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays are all battling for the two wild-card spots.

Whichever teams land those spots will surely rely on a key pitcher in the single-elimination game and start somewhat behind when facing the Rays in the Division Series.

While winning enough in the regular season to have home-field advantage is impressive, Tampa Bay is in championship-or-bust mode after coming so close to winning the World Series last year. It reached the Fall Classic, just to lose to the Los Angeles Dodgers in heart-breaking fashion in Game 6.

It seemed as if the Rays were going to force a decisive Game 7 with Blake Snell cruising in that contest, but manager Kevin Cash removed the southpaw after just 5.1 innings and 73 pitches. The bullpen was unable to keep the Dodgers off the board and lost the chance at a World Series title.

To the Rays' credit, they didn't let last year's disappointment derail this season.

They used their typical formula of unheralded stars and won an American League East division loaded with contenders with the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays. All three of those teams feature household names in their lineup but could not keep pace with the balanced division winners.

Look for Lowe, Nelson Cruz, Joey Wendle, Randy Arozarena, Mike Zunino, Kevin Kiermaier and others to give opposing pitchers fits throughout the postseason, especially playing in front of the home fans.

Tampa Bay was two wins away from a championship last season. It has the talent to take the next step this time around and capture the franchise's first World Series crown.

Tampa Bay Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg announced on the team's pregame radio show Tuesday (h/t Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) that the team has scrapped plans to advertise the franchise's desire to split future seasons between Tampa and Montreal.

"I'm really here to speak directly to our fans today," Sternberg said. "And to apologize, quite frankly. I've always said that baseball is meant to be fun and engaging and exciting. Brings a community together.

"I made a big mistake, a real mistake, in trying to promote our sister-city plan with a sign right now in our home ballpark. I absolutely should have known better. And really, I'm sorry for that. I'm here to tell ... the fans that the sign is not going to go up."

Rays president Matt Silverman said on last Saturday's This Week in Rays Baseball radio show (h/t Topkin) that the team was going to advertise its plan on the outfield wall during the playoffs.

"We're going to add a sign in the right-field foul territory with a very simple Tampa Bay Montreal graphic," Silverman said.

"Especially with the eyes of baseball on us this October, we want that visible symbol of our plan and our excitement for it. It will mark the effort subtly and keep the focus on winning."

The American League East champions are scheduled to begin their division series on Oct. 7 against a to-be-determined opponent.

The Rays' Tropicana Field lease is set to expire in 2027.

Sternberg told Topkin last December that the proposed move is the "only option in my mind":

We are getting toward 2028 and you can't snap your fingers and just have the stadium show up. It's getting trickier and trickier by the year to get something done. This year certainly set things back, but fortunately we've got a strong group of people who work for us and we've got a very motivated group of people in Montreal who want us. And I think we have a plan that makes incredible sense. At least it does to me. And we're going to try to see it through.

But Sternberg admitted that the timing of the advertising in relation to the team's impending postseason run was an issue:

There's been a lot. There's been a lot written about it nationally, locally, in blogs and on sites. I know we have passionate fans who love this team. And I'm forever grateful for that. And that passion shows itself in many ways.

The last thing I want to do is discourage any of that passion. The mistake I made here is directing that passion away from the field. Our fans deserve to be focused on Wander Franco, Randy Arozarena, Brandon Lowe. This has been an absolutely wonderful season. And it's not over yet, obviously. There'll be time to discuss and debate the future of Rays baseball. Right now it's time to enjoy Rays baseball.

Tampa Bay is in Houston for a three-game series against the Astros, and the Rays only need one win to clinch home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. The Rays also need to win just three of their next six games to earn 100 regular-season victories for the first time in franchise history.

They look like the team to beat in the AL as they search for their second consecutive World Series appearance.

Naturally, any advertising regarding the potential of the team spending future seasons in Montreal drew the ire of fans, but that idea has now been axed as the Rays look forward to potentially winning their first World Series title since the team's MLB debut in 1998.

The Tampa Bay Rays clinched their second consecutive American League East title Saturday after defeating the Miami Marlins 7-3.

Back-to-back!@RaysBaseball run the AL East once again. #CLINCHED pic.twitter.com/I3Mnt5e1dF

— MLB (@MLB) September 26, 2021

Starting pitcher Shane McClanahan got the win after tossing five innings of one-run ball. At the dish, catcher Mike Zunino led the way with a two-run blast in the fifth to give Tampa Bay a 3-1 edge.

Things are feeling magical at the Trop pic.twitter.com/aw2kqZPA9B

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 25, 2021

Second baseman and leadoff hitter Brandon Lowe set the table with four hits, including a pair of RBI doubles.

The Boston Red Sox fell 5-3 to the New York Yankees earlier Saturday, meaning that the Rays only needed one more win to clinch the division. They got the job done with seven regular-season games remaining.

The Rays won the AL East last year after posting a 40-20 record during the pandemic-shortened season. They beat the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Houston Astros in the AL playoffs before falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 in the World Series.

Tampa Bay is hoping to clinch its second consecutive AL pennant en route to winning the first World Series in franchise history.

Now the Rays can set their sights on clinching home-field advantage throughout the American League playoffs.

They are in line to do so: Following the win, Tampa Bay led the Houston Astros by five games in that race. The Rays can take care of their own business there, as they'll be traveling to Houston for a three-game series beginning Tuesday.

Earning the No. 1 seed would mean a date with the AL Wild Card Game winner. The Yankees and Red Sox, who have matching 88-67 records, currently occupy those two spots. 

Tampa closes its season with a Sunday matinee versus the Marlins, the aforementioned three-game Astros series and a three-game road trip to New York to play the Yankees.

The Tampa Bay Rays intend to use the postseason to boost their plan to split future seasons between Tampa and Montreal. 

Rays president Matt Silverman appeared on Saturday's This Week in Rays Baseball radio show to discuss the plan that includes putting a sign on one of the outfield walls at Tropicana Field. 

“We’re going to add a sign in the right field foul territory with a very simple Tampa Bay Montreal graphic,” Silverman said (h/t Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). “Especially with the eyes of baseball on us this October, we want that visible symbol of our plan and our excitement for it. It will mark the effort subtly and keep the focus on winning.”

The Rays' idea of splitting home games between Tampa and Montreal was first brought forward by team owner Stuart Sternberg in December 2019. 

Speaking to Topkin about the plan, Sternberg called the split home the easiest way to keep the Rays in Tampa. 

Talks between the Rays and local government officials in Tampa over a new stadium have been ongoing for years.

As recently as August, Charlie Frago of the Tampa Bay Times noted Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and city council members were fine with the split-season concept after meeting with team officials. 

Frago added Castor and the city council are still hopeful about the possibility of reaching a deal for a new ballpark. 

Topkin, citing sources in the Le Journal de Montreal, noted a deal between the Rays and city of Montreal could be announced "sometime after the Nov. 7 Montreal city elections, and that 'an important meeting' will be held 'very soon' in Florida to finalize details."

The Rays are tied to St. Petersburg through the 2027 season as part of their lease agreement with the city. 

Tropicana Field has been the Rays' home since their inaugural season in 1998. The stadium is often cited as one of the worst in Major League Baseball, both for its aesthetics and poor location within the city. 

Despite the franchise's consistent success for more than a decade, the Rays routinely rank at or near the bottom of the league in attendance figures. 

Montreal hasn't had an MLB team since the Expos relocated to Washington D.C. after the 2004 season. 

The Rays will host the first two games of the American League Division Series starting on Oct. 7.    

Toronto Blue Jays reliever Ryan Borucki and manager Charlie Montoyo have been suspended after Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier was hit by a pitch during Wednesday's game.

Borucki received a three-game suspension, which he is expected to appeal. Montoyo told reporters at Target Field that he received a one-game ban, and he will serve it on Thursday against the Minnesota Twins. 

The situation between Kiermaier and the Jays began on Monday night. The Rays outfielder picked up a data card that fell out of Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk's wristband as he was making a tag on Kiermaier at the plate. 

Per Arash Madani of SportsNet, the card contained Toronto's pitching game plan for Rays hitters. 

Montoyo told reporters after Tuesday's game between the two teams that Rays manager Kevin Cash apologized to him for the situation. The Blue Jays skipper described it as "agua under the bridge" at that point. 

Borucki apparently didn't get that message for the final game of the series on Wednesday night. The left-hander hit Kiermaier in the back with his first pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning. 

Both benches cleared, though there was no physical altercation, and Borucki was immediately ejected from the game. Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker was also tossed out by the umpires after arguing about Borucki's ejection. 

The Rays went on to win the game 7-1 to clinch their third consecutive postseason berth.    

The supposed truce between the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays lasted just seven innings. 

In the bottom of the eighth Wednesday, the Jays took out the remainder of their frustration with Tampa's Kevin Keirmaier, hitting him with a 93 mph fastball in the numbers and causing both benches to clear.   

On Monday, Kevin Kiermaier picked up a card with the Blue Jays game plan and the Rays reportedly refused to give it back.

Today, the Jays hit Kiermaier with a pitch and the benches cleared.

(via @MLB) https://t.co/FCfdgUJsTA

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 22, 2021

Ryan Borucki has been ejected.

Pete Walker is absolutely livid and being held back by Montoyo and Schneider.

— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) September 22, 2021

Ryan Borucki says that he missed arm-side and hit Kevin Kiermaier accidentally in the 8th. #BlueJays

— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) September 22, 2021

Nothing else come of the fracas, which goes back to Kiermaier picking up a data card dropped by Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk during a play at the plate earlier in the series. Toronto was incensed that their American League East rival had access to its scouting report. 

Earlier Wednesday, MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported Rays manager Kevin Cash and Jays skipper Charlie Montoyo cleared the air over the incident. That message apparently wasn't relayed to Toronto reliever Ryan Borucki, who will likely face a suspension unless MLB buys his excuse that he just "missed" with his pitch. 

 

The Tampa Bay Rays are headed to the playoffs for the third straight year after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 7-1 on Wednesday.

The reigning AL Champs just keep swimming.

For the third straight year, @RaysBaseball will play in the postseason. #CLINCHED pic.twitter.com/M1TyvbXyUH

— MLB (@MLB) September 22, 2021

Austin Meadows blasted a three-run homer, Randy Arozarena smacked three hits and six Rays pitchers combined to allow just four hits.

Tampa Bay can finish no worse than the second American League Wild Card spot, but an AL East title appears to be its destiny. The Rays lead the second-place Boston Red Sox by 6.5 games for the division crown with nine matchups left.

They also currently own the AL's best record by three games over the Houston Astros.

The Rays have steadily improved since going 68-94 and finishing last in the AL East in 2016. They added 12 wins in 2017 before going 90-72 in 2018.

That wasn't good enough for the playoffs, but a 96-66 record did the trick in 2019.

Once there, the Rays took the eventual pennant-winning Astros to the five-game limit in the AL Division Series before losing.

The 2020 season saw the Rays win the AL East before taking down the New York Yankees and Astros in the playoffs to take their first pennant since 2008. They pushed the favored Los Angeles Dodgers to six games in the World Series before bowing out.

This year's Rays look primed for another World Series campaign. They have a deep and balanced team once again, and now they've added prodigious power hitter Nelson Cruz from the Minnesota Twins to help them in the stretch run.

Arozarena, Meadows, Mike Zunino and Brandon Lowe provide the pop in this lineup alongside Cruz. Rookie sensation and former No. 1 overall prospect Wander Franco has also starred at shortstop.

The Rays are also excellent in the field, especially with Kevin Kiermaier patrolling center. The three-time Gold Glove winner has led a Rays defense that sits third in the AL in fielding percentage.

The Rays' pitching strength lies in the bullpen, which is a fantastic group that includes a pair of sub-2.00 ERA relievers in Collin McHugh and Andrew Kittredge, the latter of whom is on the 10-day injured list with neck tightness.

Closer Diego Castillo has enjoyed a solid year too with a 2.72 ERA and 14 saves.

The Rays are doing all this despite missing ace pitcher Tyler Glasnow, who underwent successful Tommy John surgery and is out until 2023. Glasnow was 5-2 with a 2.66 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 88.0 innings before being lost for the season.

Tampa Bay has somehow made it work without him thanks in part to pitchers such as Shane McClanahan (9-6, 3.51 ERA) and Drew Rasmussen (3-0, 2.67 ERA).

Now the Rays will search for their first World Series title in franchise history, which dates back to 1998.