ST. PETERSBURG -- It seems inevitable that the Rays’ four-game series at Yankee Stadium next week will decide the American League East race, one way or another. It’s impossible to avoid the anticipation for that showdown, which has enormous regular-season implications in addition to being a potential postseason preview.
But don’t forget about what’s taking place this weekend at Tropicana Field. The Rays can’t afford to look past the Red Sox, who are hoping to punch their ticket to the postseason before leaving town Sunday night, and it’s equally possible that these two clubs will meet again in a couple of weeks.
While the Red Sox moved a step closer to their goal, the Rays’ march toward a division title was temporarily stalled by a 4-2 defeat before a crowd of 23,342 on Friday night at the Trop. The loss ended Tampa Bay’s six-game winning streak and reduced the club’s edge in the AL East standings to 4 1/2 games, pending the result of the Yankees’ late game in Arizona.
Either way, losing Friday night eliminated the already unlikely possibility of seeing the Rays clinch their first division title since 2021 at home. That would have required Tampa Bay pulling off a three-game sweep a...