Rays Keep Oddly Timed Celebration, 10 Times Right after Clinching Postseason Berth

BOSTON (AP) — Champagne sprayed, cigar smoke wafted by means of the air and the Tampa Bay Rays passed close to a extravagant glass decanter of liquor when hip hop tunes blared from the speakers in the visitor’s clubhouse at Fenway Park.

It was time to rejoice.

What they have been celebrating wasn’t just noticeable.

The Rays donned ski goggles, protected their lockers with plastic and danced a victory dance for the common social gathering that will come when a baseball workforce clinches a place in the postseason. There was just one particular slight quibble: They failed to clinch just about anything at all by beating the Boston Purple Sox 5- on Wednesday night time.

“I know it is distinctive,” supervisor Kevin Dollars claimed. “I just advised the fellas ’We’re various. We’re the Rays.’”

In truth, the Rays clinched a playoff berth on Sept. 17, when they two times experienced the Orioles down to their very last out before Baltimore won on an 11th-inning sacrifice fly. (It did not matter, simply because Texas’ loss that working day confident Tampa Bay of no even worse than a wild-card place.)

But rather than rejoice after a loss, the Rays built programs to rejoice in Boston on Wednesday — having advantage of Thursday’s off working day to rest it off.

“Not everyone gets the prospect,” reported Tyler Glasnow, who struck out nine in 5 shutout innings in his final standard-time commence. “And I believe whenever you’re equipped to gain any type of playoff factor, you’ve got bought to celebrate.”

So there the Rays ended up, whooping it up 3 times immediately after their actual clincher.

“Sunday was complicated,” Dollars claimed. “I feel we have got to test to recognize the mood of the clubhouse a minimal bit. Suitable or mistaken, we felt like there was going to be a time at some position.”

The Rays won their 97th match — tied for next most in franchise history — and nevertheless have a slender chance at the AL East title: Baltimore (99-59) has a magic variety of one to clinch.

“When we clinched … in Baltimore — tough game to clinch on. But it doesn’t make it any much less unique proper now,” claimed Rays normal manager Peter Bendix, who was drenched in champagne and beer in the clubhouse.

“Every time you make the playoffs, it is a truly cool thing. And it may possibly be the very last time for any individual in this home,” he stated. “And so when you make the playoffs, that’s an accomplishment that you rejoice. It is a tiny strange that we’re celebrating tonight but, in my viewpoint, it’s the ideal issue to do. And I assume the fellas are owning a terrific time.”

The Rays, who have reached the postseason five consecutive seasons, are hoping for 4 far more celebrations this drop.

“Getting to the playoffs, which is what this signifies,” infielder Yandy Diaz said. “The most critical part is getting to the Earth Sequence, so we can keep celebrating.”

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