After clinching a spot in the American League playoffs Thursday with a doubleheader sweep in Baltimore, the Rays gathered in the clubhouse for what pitcher Charlie Morton called "a little family get-together."
They mildly celebrated their success (given the severe COVID-19 restrictions), acknowledged their accomplishment and discussed what was next on their to-do list:
Finishing atop the American League East.
"I think everybody's on the same page _ winning the division is the goal right now," Morton said Friday. "Obviously, trying to get that No. 1 seed, but I think the AL East right now, that's what we've got our sights on."
They took another step in that direction Friday, beating the Orioles, 2-1.
The Rays improved to 34-18 with the win and, at worst, maintained their 3 {-game lead over the second-place Yankees _ who were playing late at Boston _ and reduced their magic number to clinch the division to five.
The Rays also moved ahead of the Central Division-leading White Sox to take the top seed in the AL playoff field with eight games to go.
Tyler Glasnow gave them another strong start, striking out 10 while allowing only one run but lasting only five innings as he ran his pitch count to 95.
He had his usual electric stuff _ a fastball constantly in the upper 90s and a wicked curveball that he sometimes bounces.
His only mistake came to Austin Hays leading off the fourth, a 1-1 change-up that got hit over the left-center-field fence.
Glasnow lacked command in the first two innings, needing 50 pitches to get the first six outs. But he also did his most important work, loading the bases on two singles and a walk and then escaping, striking out Bryan Holaday and Andrew Velazquez and getting Cedric Mullins on a fly out.
Playing without Austin Meadows, who landed on the injured list with an oblique strain that seems likely to end his season, the Rays took an early lead.
Brandon Lowe singled with two outs off Alex Cobb, the longtime Rays starter. Mike Brosseau drew a five-pitch walk. And Nate Lowe laced _ 114.8 mph off the bat _ a single to right.
The Rays made it 2-0 in the third, with some help from an Orioles team that had several misplays, though no official errors.
Yoshi Tsutsugo, getting a look in the leadoff spot with Meadows out, lofted a fly ball to deep right that DJ Stewart camped under at the wall and somehow missed. Tsutsugo raced to third for what was scored a triple and scored on a single by Lowe, giving him 33 RBIs.
That would be the Rays' last hit until the seventh, as their bats went quiet.
After Glasnow, the Rays used Oliver Drake, Aaron Loup and Nick Anderson for an inning each, then Ryan Sherriff to close it out, the 11th Rays pitcher to earn a save this season.
