Saturday, 4 a.m.
They are in. Through it all, through the injuries and the weak hitting and the maddening slumps and the basetunning errors, the Tampa Bay Rays have made the playoffs for the fourth straight year (and eighth of their history).
Yeah, you can still debate how long they will last. Certainly, they will be a long shot to go very far.
Still, being in is better than being out.
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For a night, the Rays certainly looked as if they belonged in a 7-2 win over the 100-plus win Houston Astros. They got outstanding starting pitching from Drew Rasmussen (seven innings, two earned runs). They broke out of their offensive funk with 10 hits and seven runs.
Yandy Diaz had three hits, including a two-run double. Harold Ramirez had two hits and Taylor Walls homered.
The Rays now have five games to go. Tampa Bay and Houston will play at Minute Maid Park at 7:10 p.m. tonight. Shane McClanahan will start for the Rays against Cristian Javier.