ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Rays have much more significant goals — and wilder celebrations — in mind.
But Wednesday was a good start, as they clinched a third consecutive playoff berth with a 7-1 win over the Blue Jays.
This is the seventh time in the last 14 seasons the Rays have reached the postseason, and the first time they have done so in three consecutive seasons.
That they qualified with just their own win was a bit unexpected until about an hour before their 3:10 p.m. start, when word first circulated that Major League Baseball was reviewing the clinching scenarios due to remaining head-to-head games among the contenders.
The expectation had been that the Rays needed a win AND a loss by either the Red Sox or Yankees, who played Wednesday night. But at 2:41 p.m., MLB confirmed that if the Rays were to win, they were in.
Wednesday’s clinching ensures the Rays, who improved to 94-59, are at least one of the two American League wild-card teams.
They have grander aspirations, with a strong focus on winning a second straight and fourth overall East division title, and with a 6 1/2-game lead over the Red Sox (pending Boston’s late result) and only nine games remaining, seem to be in good shape there. That clinching could come as soon as Saturday night.
Winning the division is prestigious but also has a practical benefit as the Rays then get to skip the one-game showdown and begin the postseason with a best-of-five division series, likely opening at home. They have a three-game lead over the Astros for home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs.
The Rays took charge early Wednesday, scoring six runs in the third.
Brandon Lowe got them started with a single, Randy Arozarena doubled and Ji-Man Choi walked to load the bases. Yandy Diaz’s sacrifice fly got one run in.
Then Austin Meadows delivered three with a long and loud blast to the right of center, his 26th homer and, as he crossed home plate, 103rd RBI.
After Manuel Margot singled and Francisco Mejia doubled, Taylor Walls singled in two more runs to make it 6-0.
Luis Patino started and worked three innings after being moved up somewhat unexpectedly after scheduled starter Michael Wacha was used in relief Tuesday. JT Chargois, Adam Conley, J.P. Feyereisen, Pete Fairbanks and David Robertson followed.
Some tempers flared in the eighth after Jays pitcher Ryan Borucki hit Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier square in the back with a pitch, as both benches and bullpens emptied.
Kiermaier on Monday created a bit of an issue when he picked up a Jays pitching data card after a play at home and kept it.
Rays manager Kevin Cash was quite animated in yelling at the umpires and seemed to get his way as Borucki was ejected. So was Jays pitching coach Pete Walker, who argued aggressively about Borucki’s ejection.
The Rays are off Thursday and host the Marlins starting Friday in the final regular-season homestand.
