Griffin Jax set the tone early and the Rays never looked back.
Behind five scoreless innings from Jax and a four-run burst in the first, Tampa Bay rolled past the Boston Red Sox 5-1 Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field. The win moved the Rays to 95-60, and it trimmed their magic number to clinch the AL East to three. Tampa Bay can lock up the division with a win in New York.
The game also closed the book on the Rays’ home schedule, and they finished 55-26 (.679) at Tropicana Field. That marks the third-best home record in franchise history, trailing only 2020 (.690 [20-9]) and 2008 (.270 [57-24]).
Jax earned the win and improved to 8-10 with a 3.62 ERA. He gave Tampa Bay exactly what it needed, working the first five innings without allowing a run while giving up three hits, striking out five and walking two. Cole Sulser, Brody Hopkins, Steve Matz, Ty Johnson and Kevin Kelly handled the final four innings.
Boston’s only run came late, when Trevor Story launched a homer off Ty Johnson in the ninth. It was Story’s fifth of the year.
The Red Sox had to settle for a loss that dropped them to 84-72. Patrick Sandoval took it, allowing five runs on four hits over seven innings, with five strikeouts and two walks.
Boston also fell behind Tampa Bay in the season series, 6-7. A win would have clinched a playoff berth for the Red Sox, but they still have a path if the Houston Astros lose Sunday night.
The Rays did most of their damage immediately. They put up four runs in the bottom of the first on a two-run double from Jonny DeLuca and a two-run single by Chandler Simpson. Victor Mesa Jr. added another punch in the fourth with a solo homer, his 14th of the season, to make it 5-0.
Mesa Jr. joined a short list in franchise history with that blast. He became one of six Rays rookies to hit 14 or more home runs in a rookie season, and he was the first to do it since Randy Arozarena hit 20 in his 2021 rookie year.
Tampa Bay now gets Monday off before opening a crucial four-game set against the New York Yankees with a day-night doubleheader Tuesday. Game 1 starts at 1:05 p.m.
EST. The Rays will send Nick Martinez, who is 15-4 with a 2.94 ERA, in the opener and Drew Rasmussen, who is 15-5 with a 2.72 ERA, in the nightcap.
New York has not announced a starter yet.
In Other News...
Rays Have One Lineup Question That Could Haunt Their October Run
The Rays head into a critical four-game series against the Yankees with one issue hanging over the roster: the bottom of the lineup has not been giving them enough offense. Tampa Bay has built its identity on run prevention, versatility and getting the most out of a deep roster, but in October those margins get smaller, and every spot in the order gets magnified. It is the kind of problem that does not always show up in the loudest way in the regular season, yet it can shape the entire tone of a playoff series.
Some analysts have pointed out that the Rays might have been helped by adding another bat at the trade deadline, especially with the need for more consistent production late in the order. The defense remains a strength, and there are players who help in ways that do not always show up in the box score, but the club will need more than glove work if it wants to keep moving toward the ALCS and beyond. For a team with real October ambition, that lineup question is the sort that can linger if it is not answered soon. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Just Made A Clear Statement About Who They Represent
The Rays are putting a new look on the field Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, and it comes with a message attached. Tampa Bay announced it will debut a gray road uniform with Tampa Bay across the chest, a modern take on the original Devil Rays style that will now serve as the clubs primary road jersey in place of the Columbia blue tops. The change was shaped with fan input and is being framed as part of the organizations renewed commitment to the region.
For a franchise that has spent years navigating questions about its identity and its connection to the market, the timing and wording matter. The new road set is meant to feel rooted in the area the club says it represents, and starting with a high-profile series in New York gives the unveiling a bigger stage than a routine uniform switch usually gets. There is still the on-field part to come, but the visual shift alone says plenty about where the Rays want the conversation to go. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Head To The Bronx With October Pitching Doubts In Focus
The Rays head into the Bronx with a chance to lock up the AL East, but the bigger question hanging over this four-game set is how their pitching staff will look in an October-style setting. Nick Martinez and Drew Rasmussen are lined up to start at Yankee Stadium, which gives Tampa Bay a useful measuring stick against a Yankees lineup and a ballpark that tends to sharpen every mistake.
For a club that has spent much of the season evaluating pieces for the stretch run, this series offers more than a chance at a division title. It is also a chance to see whether the Rays can trust their starters in the kind of environment that often decides playoff series, where the pressure rises, the margin for error shrinks and Yankee Stadium can turn even routine innings into a test. [Read more 🡒]