BALTIMORE — A couple of minutes after Cedric Mullins’ walk-off sacrifice fly landed in Manuel Margot’s glove, with a celebration raging outdoors, Rays supervisor Kevin Money briefly addressed his group. He congratulated them on clinching a spot within the postseason for the fifth straight 12 months, acknowledged all it took to get there and praised everybody who has contributed alongside the way in which.
“It is taken so much to get right here. I feel all people realizes that,” Money mentioned. “Actually commend this group and [I’m] comfortable that we’re in. And now, let’s examine the place we go.”
However the Rays had been hoping for a distinct form of celebration on Sunday afternoon. That a lot was evident contained in the guests’ clubhouse, the place the furnishings had been cleared out and plastic sheets have been rolled up above a row of lockers. Quite than raucously spraying champagne, a small group of gamers quietly shared a shot.
Sure, the Rays secured a spot within the postseason due to the Rangers’ 9-2 loss to the Guardians. However about 35 minutes after that recreation ended, Tampa Bay coughed up a ninth-inning lead and misplaced to Baltimore, 5-4, in 11 innings as the 2 American League East rivals break up this pivotal four-game sequence.
“That’s a extremely good group, and that was a hell of a baseball recreation,” president of baseball operations Erik Neander mentioned. “Actually, you’re feeling the sting of dropping a recreation like that, and also you perceive its significance. However for this group to be on this place speaks a lot extra to them than the end result of this specific recreation.”
The Rays are certainly one of three groups to have reached the postseason yearly since 2019, together with the Braves and Dodgers, with the AL West-leading Astros prone to be part of that group. They’re the eighth group within the Wild Card period (since 1995) to make the playoffs 5 years in a row.
That historical past is one motive the Rays usually are not glad with merely entering into the postseason for the ninth time since 2008.
They nonetheless have their sights set on a fifth AL East title, believing that bypassing a best-of-three Wild Card Sequence creates their greatest path to the franchise’s first World Sequence championship. Sunday’s consequence didn’t assure something for both membership, nevertheless it made the Rays’ probabilities of reaching that aim a bit harder.
“I am unable to say that I am too thrilled proper now. Give it slightly time, perhaps,” reliever Pete Fairbanks mentioned. “It is clearly one thing. We all know that we’re there, and now it is time to give attention to what we actually need.”
The Rays and Orioles reported to Camden Yards on Sunday with a magic variety of one, needing a win within the sequence finale or a loss by both the Mariners or Rangers. Technically, they reached the postseason on the similar time, the primary two groups to enter the AL discipline, as Texas’ loss in Cleveland completed solely moments earlier than Adam Frazier knocked a game-tying double to left discipline off Fairbanks within the ninth inning at Camden Yards.
Twice, the Rays have been one out away from profitable the finale and taking the sequence.
They’d held a 3-1 lead heading into the underside of the eighth inning after back-to-back homers by rookie shortstop Tristan Grey (making his first Main League begin) and Christian Bethancourt. However Adley Rutschman homered off Fairbanks — requested to report six outs for the primary time since June 22, 2021, a transparent signal of the sport’s significance — within the eighth to make it a one-run recreation, then Frazier tied it with two outs within the ninth.
The Rays scored a run on a pair of groundouts within the tenth, just for Rutschman to tie it up with a two-out single to middle off Shawn Armstrong. After holding Tampa Bay scoreless within the eleventh, Baltimore performed for one run and acquired it.
Ryan O’Hearn’s sacrifice bunt moved the automated runner Rutschman to 3rd base, then Mullins smacked a fly ball to deep middle that allow the Orioles and their frenzied residence crowd soak within the membership’s first postseason berth since 2016.
“Two nice groups going at it. We did every part to win the sport, after which they answered and form of got here again and so they did every part to win the sport,” mentioned Money, who was ejected for arguing a check-swing name after the ninth inning. “You noticed nice pitching, nice protection, clutch hitting. You noticed all of it. We simply got here up slightly quick proper there on the finish.”
Because the probably candidates to be the AL’s No. 1 seed and prime Wild Card membership, it’s doable — even perhaps probably — that Sunday wasn’t the final time the Rays and Orioles will see one another this 12 months. They may very effectively meet once more in October.
The Rays nonetheless hope their largest celebrations are forward of them.
“Whenever you have a look at the larger image of all of it, it is postseason baseball. It is what you need to do. It is the aim,” Brandon Lowe mentioned. “It form of begins the following aim of profitable the World Sequence, and it is simply one other step to go.”