The Tampa Bay Rays are heading to the postseason for the fifth year in a row. Haven’t watched a game all season? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with a guide on how to hopefully enjoy the next few weeks.
Story of the season
How did the Rays get here? It has been a historic year for the team who started off the season with 13 straight wins — that’s a joint record in the modern era, tying the 1982 Atlanta Braves and the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers.
That was the catalyst to a 99-win regular season, the second most in franchise history.
What’s next?
The Rays are the fourth seed in the American League, meaning they need to win three rounds of games to reach the World Series.
The Texas Rangers are up first in the best-of-three Wild Card Round at the Trop. The first game starts today at 3:08 p.m.
Victory would move the Rays on to the best-of-five Division Series, to face either the Houston Astros or Baltimore Orioles. After that, there’s a seven-game Championship Series before the big show begins.
Don’t move or you might miss the action.
Photo by Davida Franklin via Tampa Bay Rays
Facts to knock your friends out of the park
It might be shocking to hear this about a team from Champa Bay, but the Rays have never won a World Series in their 26-year history.
However, the team has been close to glory twice, losing the series in 2008 to the Philadelphia Phillies, and more recently losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the COVID-impacted 2020 season.
How to watch
Tickets are on sale for the postseason at the Trop, starting as low as $30.
If you prefer cheaper refreshments, here’s how to take in the action from home. The Wild Card Round will be shown on the ESPN networks, before Fox Sports takes over. You can stream games on Fubo, which offers a free trial.
Don’t have a TV? There are also dozens of Rays bars around TBAY sure to be streaming the games.
Game on.
