BOSTON — Champagne sprayed, cigar smoke wafted during the wind and the Tampa Bay Rays handed round a posh glass decanter of liquor generation hip hop song blared from the audio system within the customer’s clubhouse at Fenway Terrain.
It used to be generation to honour.
What they had been celebrating wasn’t precisely open.
The Rays donned ski goggles, coated their lockers with plastic and danced a victory dance for the normal birthday celebration that comes when a baseball workforce clinches a place within the postseason. There used to be only one minor quibble: They didn’t clinch the rest in any respect through beating the Boston Red Sox 5-0 on Wednesday night time.
“I know it’s different,” supervisor Kevin Money stated. “I just told the guys ‘We’re different. We’re the Rays.'”
In truth, the Rays clinched a playoff berth on Sept. 17, after they two times had the Orioles all the way down to their latter out earlier than Baltimore received on an Eleventh-inning sacrifice fly. (It didn’t topic, as a result of Texas’ loss that month confident Tampa Bay of disagree worse than a wild-card spot.)
However in lieu than honour nearest a loss, the Rays made plans to honour in Boston on Wednesday — benefiting from Thursday’s off month to relief it off.
“Not everyone gets the opportunity,” stated Tyler Glasnow, who struck out 9 in 5 shutout innings in his ultimate regular-season get started. “And I think anytime you’re able to win any sort of playoff thing, you’ve got to celebrate.”
So there the Rays had been, whooping it up 10 days nearest their latest clincher.
“Sunday was challenging,” Money stated. “I think we’ve got to try to appreciate the mood of the clubhouse a little bit. Right or wrong, we felt like there was going to be a time at some point.”
The Rays received their 97th sport, tie for second-most in franchise historical past, and also have a thin probability on the AL East name: Baltimore (99-59) has a enchanment selection of one to clinch.
“When we clinched … in Baltimore — tough game to clinch on. But it doesn’t make it any less special right now,” stated Rays basic supervisor Peter Bendix, who used to be soaking wet in champagne and beer within the clubhouse.
“Every time you make the playoffs, it’s a really cool thing. And it might be the last time for anybody in this room,” he stated. “And so when you make the playoffs, that’s an accomplishment that you celebrate. It’s a little weird that we’re celebrating tonight but, in my opinion, it’s the right thing to do. And I think the guys are having a great time.”
The Rays, who’ve reached the postseason 5 consecutive seasons, are hoping for 4 extra celebrations q4.
“Getting to the playoffs, that’s what this signifies,” infielder Yandy Diaz stated. “The most important part is getting to the World Series, so we can keep celebrating.”
