My Two Cents: Just Chill, Rays Fans, and Don't Worry About Past 2 Days

I agree with Cash completely. It's just two losses, and the Rays actually GAINED position in the wild-card race because the Baltimore Orioles lost twice, too.

The Rays are still safely — dare I say very safely — in the playoffs right now, with a six-game lead over the Orioles. Two more days disappeared off the calendar, and the magic number is now 17. 

In baseball, it's always been about just getting into the playoffs and taking it from there. It's true this year, too. I mean, just look back to last year. The Rays won the AL East easily, posting their first 100-win season ever. But the Red Sox came into the postseason blazing, and beat the Rays 3-1 in the first round. Winning the division meant zilch.

In my column last Sunday, I mentioned that trying to make up six games on the Yankees would be tough. Their schedule is far easier than the Rays, And that's a lot of ground to cover in a short period of times.

It's also the same ground that Baltimore has to cover in the wild-card race, with three teams — the Rays, Toronto and Seattle — all basically six games ahead of them.

Here's what is left of the Rays' 2022 regular season schedule, with 18 of the 24 games against teams still in playoff contention. Fourteen of the final 24 games are on the road:

• Rays at Toronto Blue Jays, Sept. 12-15 (5 road games): 
• Monday, Sept 12 at 7:07 p.m. ET 
• Tuesday, Sept. 13 (Doubleheader at 1:07 p.m., 7:07 p.m.)
• Wednesday, Sept, 14 at 7:07 p.m. ET
• Thursday, Sept. 15 at 3:07 p.m. ET 
• Texas Rangers at Rays, Sept 16-18 (3 home games)
• Friday, Sept. 16 at 7:10 p.m. ET
• Saturday, Sept. 17 at 6:10 p.m. ET
• Sunday, Sept. 18 at 1:10 p;.m. ET
• Houston Astros at Rays Sept. 19-21 (3 home games)
• Monday, Sept. 19 at 6:40 p.m. ET
• Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 6:40 p.m. ET 
• Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 6:40 p.m. ET 
• Toronto Blue Jays at Rays Sept. 22-25 (4 home games)
• Thursday, Sept. 22 at 6:40 p.m. ET
• Friday, Sept. 23 at 7:10 p.m. ET
• Saturday, Sept. 24 at 6:10 p.m. ET
• Sunday, Sept. 25 at 1:10 p.m. ET 
• Monday, Sept. 26 — Off day
• Rays at Cleveland Guardians, Sept. 27-29 (3 road games):
• Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 6:10 p.m. ET 
• Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 6:10 p.m. ET
• Thursday, Sept 29. at 6:10 p.m. ET 
• Rays at Houston Astros, Sept. 30-Oct. 2 (3 road games):
• Friday, Sept. 30 at 8:10 p.m. ET 
• Saturday, Oct. 1 at 7:10 p.m. ET 
• Sunday, Oct. 2 at 2:10 p.m. ET 
• Rays at Boston Red Sox, Oct. 3-5 (3 road games):
• Monday, Oct. 3 at 7:10 p.m. ET
• Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 7:10 p.m. ET
• Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 2:10 p.m. ET
• Thursday, Oct. 6 — Off Day
• Wild-Card round (best 2-of-3) begins
• Friday, Oct. 7, TBA
• Saturday, Oct. 8, TBA,
• Sunday, Oct. 9, TBA 

Look at it this way. Even if the Rays just go 12-12 the rest of the year — which is entirely possible considering the schedule — Baltimore would have to go 19-5 to pass them. 

You really think that's possible? I sure don't. 

The only way the Rays don't make the playoffs is if they completely fall apart, and I don't see that happening either. They are healthy now, at least offensively, and I expect guys like Wander Franco, Manuel Margot and Harold Ramirez to do big things the rest of the month. They were missed, for sure. And I don't see Randy Arozarena cooling off any time soon, either

And nothing is more important, of course, then pitcher Shane McClanahan returning to the fold. That little shoulder issue turned out to be minor, and he is on pace to return on Thursday (Sept. 15), after his 15-day injured list stint expires. He threw around 50 pitches in the bullpen on Saturday and reportedly felt fine. He'll have another bullpen session probably on Tuesday, and as long as there are no issues, he'll start Thursday's series finale in Toronto.

McClanahan likely will get four starts to end the season, and then still be on full rest to pitch Game 1 of the playoffs. The Rays have two days to play with between all of his starts, too, so he can pitch on five days' rest instead of four on two occasions, then have a full five or six days of rest before the playoff opener.

In other words, he will not be overworked heading into the postseason.

To me, that's all that really matters. Sure, winning the division would be nice, but the Yankees are getting healthy, too. Just like it helped the Rays, we saw how much it helped New York just having Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson back in the lineup this weekend.

Forty-plus years of covering baseball gives me the knowledge to know that you don't worry about pitchers getting rocked in September who are NOT a part of your postseason plans anyway. Patino certainly isn't, and Kluber's roll will be minor, at best.

In that first wild-card series — a best two-of-three at the home park of the higher seed — the Rays will be set up to pitch Shane McClanahan and Drew Rasmussen in the first two games — of course, we'll all take that — and Jeffrey Springs would pitch the third game, if necessary.

There's this factor, too. By Sunday, Oct. 9, if all continues to go well, Tyler Glasnow will be a player in this postseason. He keeps checking off every box in his rehab and looked terrific at Durham last Wednesday. He'll pitch again 

First off, I still think McClanahan (11-5, 2.20 ERA) and Rasmussen (10-4, 2.57 ERA) — the All-Star starter and the Pitcher of the Month in August — are the best one-two punch in the American League. In a three-game series, I can see them winning the first two games and moving on.

But what if there's a third game? What if Tyler Glasnow, who's 16-4 over the past two years — pitches say the first two or three innings and then the lefty Springs with his 2.54 ERA comes in and takes it from there, with Jason Adam and Pete Fairbanks waiting in the wings for the final two innings?

That's a recipe for success. I like it.

So don't worry about losing twice to the Yankees. It really doesn't matter. Don't worry about seeing Patino again this year in a pressure-filled moment. See you next spring when you're 23, and you've grown up a little more.

And Kluber? Let's not forget that in his previous start against the Yankees, he threw seven scoreless innings and allowed just two hits. That's the Corey Kluber I know.

Kluber, if you need reminding, has won 10 games for the Rays this season. He will win a few more before it's over, too. He has been above average this year for the Rays, and he shows up every start. He just didn't have good command on Saturday, and he got rocked. That's really happened only once all year — back in May out in Los Angeles against the Angels.

Do you need reminding what he did after that bad start in Anaheim, when he gave up eight runs in three innings? He gave up two runs or less in seven of his next eight starts. He's a veteran who knows how to win, and he will win again this season for Tampa Bay. 

You people who were saying on Saturday that the Rays should cut Kluber clearly know nothing about how a very long baseball season works. He had a bad day, but that does not make him a bad pitcher. It's two different things.

So just relax. Everything the Rays need is still right in front of them. It's still there for the taking. 

It's all good, even if the last two days weren't.