When the Rays won the American League East title for the first time in 2008, it was a monumental and transformational accomplishment, signifying the end of their initial decade of massive futility and the start of an era of remarkable success.
When they did it again two years later, they proved that finishing ahead of the divisional heavyweight Red Sox and Yankees was no fluke.
"In the AL East, there's never an off year. The cream always rises to the top," Rays president Matt Silverman said Tuesday. "That's why that 2008 division title meant so much. There was no denying the accomplishment.
"And to do it again in 2010 only reinforced the winning track record we were establishing."
The Rays are positioned to claim the division title for the first time since then, though they missed a chance on Tuesday when they lost to the Mets, 5-2, and the second-place Yankees beat the Blue Jays, 12-1.
The Rays will try again Wednesday, needing just one more win over their four remaining games, or one Yankees loss to make it official, as they lead by 3 { games and already have the tiebreaker in hand. Their 36-20 record remains the best in the American League, with a slim lead over the White Sox and A's (who played late Tuesday) for the top seed in the AL playoffs that start next week.
The Rays grabbed an early lead when Willy Adames homered in the second, his seventh on the road compared to one at home.
But Blake Snell got off to a messy start, allowing a tying homer to Robinson Cano (on what actually was a good pitch) to start a 33-pitch second inning that included two walks after 0-2 counts. Snell, slated to pitch the playoffs opener on Tuesday, gave up another homer, his 10th of the season, in the fourth to Pete Alonso, the Tampa product who was the NL's top rookie last year.
Snell managed to work into the sixth, allowing a leadoff double to Dominic Smith, then leaving after two outs and 108 pitches, his most since before July 2019 elbow surgery. Reliever John Curtiss gave up a single to make it 3-1, and it got worse from there for the Rays.
Offense has been a concern for the Rays, as they were held to three or fewer runs for the fifth straight game and seventh of their past eight. Also of note, they don't have a hit with a runner in scoring position since the third inning Friday, going 0-for-22 since.
Even though the clinched a playoff spot for the second straight season and sixth overall, the Rays have said winning the division has been their primary goal, and one they want to accomplish soon.
"It means the world, it does," said Kevin Kiermaier, the longest-serving Ray since debuting in 2013. "It's something I've personally wanted to accomplish, and obviously that's everyone involved with it. ...
"The people that have been here, that have waited a long time for this to happen again. We really hope to make it happen. We like our chances."
Since the Rays last ruled the AL East in 2010, each of the other four teams has had a turn at the top. The Red Sox won it four times, the Yankees three, the Blue Jays and Orioles one each.
Manager Kevin Cash also knows how big a deal it is for the Rays, who routinely have the lowest payroll, and for a while got the least amount of credit, of the five teams.
He was born and raised in Tampa, spent 2005-06 with the Devil Rays during the dark days when they never won more than 70 games and finished last nine times in 10 seasons. And was with the Red Sox when the Rays had that breakthrough 2008 season, and also in 2010.
"Great appreciation," Cash said. "Pretty spectacular how it got turned around. I know 2008 was the big year, certainly they went to the postseason, to the World Series and everything.
"It's special. To be in a position to win the American League East any year is special for whatever team. ... It's a very challenging division, and whether it's 162 (games), whether it's 60, whether it's 2008 or 2020, it's quite an honor to be able to say that. And we're really hopeful that we can."
Also appreciative is first-base coach Ozzie Timmons, another Tampa native and former Devil Ray, who was in his second year as a Tampa Bay minor-league coach when they clinched in 2008.
"The best part about it is you're out in the Fall League, we've got all our young players going out there with (players from) other teams, and actually that we had the Yankees as part of our team, so it was fun to see those guys also," he said.
"When we won the division it was like, 'Yeah we won the division.' Because the Yankees are always up here and the Red Sox are always above us, so to finally win it was great."
