The Rays had waited a long time since last winning the American League East in 2010, so one extra day after missing a chance to clinch Tuesday was not a big deal.
They got it done Wednesday, and quite handily, beating the Mets 8-5, at Citi Field in New York.
The only real drama was if they would clinch the division on their own merits, or if they would technically earn the title with a loss by the second-place Yankees, who were headed that way against the Blue Jays in Buffalo, N.Y.
The Rays won the race as their game ended first, earning them the division title in the pandemic-delayed and abbreviated 60-game season.
It’s the third time in 23 seasons that the Rays have ruled the highly competitive East. They won in 2008 during the breakthrough season that ended their dismal first decade and ushered in a new era of competitiveness as they logged their first winning record and advanced all the way to the World Series, and again in 2010.
Since the Rays last won the AL East, 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.
The win improved the Rays’ American League-leading record to 37-20, as they head into a Thursday off-day, during which they have to move into a St. Petersburg hotel as part of a Major League Baseball-mandated quarantine for all playoff-bound teams. Then they finish with a regular-season-ending series against the Phillies.
The Rays are still playing to secure the top seed in the AL playoffs, which start Tuesday. They went into play Wednesday with a slight lead over the White Sox and A’s,
The Rays won Wednesday with a strong six-inning start by Tyler Glasnow and four home runs — two by Randy Arozarena, one each by Joey Wendle and Brandon Lowe.
Wendle got them started with a homer in the second, then the Mets tied it when Andres Gimenez went deep.
The Rays went back ahead in the third when Manuel Margot walked, went to third on Mike Zunino’s double and scored ahead of a throw home after a Brandon Lowe grounder. The Mets tied it again on a homer by Dominic Smith.
The Rays went ahead to stay in the sixth, when Brandon Lowe singled and Randy Arozarena homered to centerfield. And they added on in the eighth when Yoshi Tsutsugo walked and Lowe hit his 14th homer of the season.
The eight runs were their most in a game since last Thursday, as they have been held to three or fewer in their past five games.
Glasnow didn’t allow much besides the two homers, striking out eight while getting through the six innings with an efficient 76 pitches. He improved to 5-1 and lowered his ERA to 4.08 in his last regular-season start.
The clinching was special for all members of the organization.
Among uniformed personnel, only bullpen coach Stan Boroski was with the Rays when they last won in the division in 2010.
“The first one was amazing,” Boroski said earlier. “It was my first year in the big leagues and to win the AL East in your in the big leagues was an unbelievable experience. And not to say you think it’s going to happen again, but that fact that it’s taken (10) years for it to happen again, you understand just how special it is to win a division.
“Getting to the playoffs is great. Being a wild-card member is great. But winning a division is a little bit different. It’s a little bit different feeling. … It’s a wonderful feeling.”
Though the accomplishment was significant, the Rays’ celebration was expected to be muted given the COVID-19 protocols and restrictions, as it was last week when, for the sixth time in franchise history, they clinched a playoff spot.
“We celebrated within the guidelines of what we thought was smart when we clinched,” manager Kevin Cash said before Wednesday’s game. “And I hope and am confident that we will be very smart if we’re able to get in that position (to win the division) and understand what’s at stake. Our guys have done a tremendous job throughout the course of the season, along with MLB in general, following guidelines.”
Cash acknowledged that the players are missing out on one of the best parts of winning, but he said they all understand there is a tradeoff involved.
“I do think we all should recognize that these players are missing out, but we’re missing out like we said for good reason,” he said. “And being respectful of the situation and not putting any of us at risk. We’re going to the postseason. We definitely don’t want a celebration or anything like that to derail all the accomplishments of the season.”
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