Rays look to secure AL East, home-field advantage against Yankees
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 19: Richie Palacios #1 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates with Junior Caminero #13 after hitting an RBI single to walk-off the Boston Red Sox 2-1 at Tropicana Field on September 19, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Ph
TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Rays head into Yankee Stadium on Tuesday needing a single victory in a doubleheader to secure the American League East title.
Rays division title chase
By the numbers:
Sitting at 95 wins, Tampa Bay can lock up the division crown and secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs by winning one of Tuesday's two games. Game one is scheduled for 1:05 p.m., with game two following at 7:05 p.m.
American League playoff bye
Why you should care:
A division title grants the Rays a first-round bye into the Division Series, forcing the Yankees into the Wild Card round. If New York advances past the first round, bracket rules will set up a rematch between the two rivals.
Yankee Stadium pitching matchup
What's next:
Tampa Bay is starting aces Nick Martinez in game one and Drew Rasmussen in game two to shut the door on New York early. Players remain focused on the task at hand, with outfielder Jonny DeLuca saying the team is taking it "one day at a time" because the "job's not done yet."
Unveiling new threads
Dig deeper:
Off the field, the Rays recently locked down their future with a brand-new stadium deal in the Bay Area.
Courtesy: Tampa Bay Rays
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The Source: The information in this story was gathered from interviews with Rays outfielder Jonny DeLuca and pitcher Griffin Jax, as well as official team schedule announcements.