Rays Clinch AL East After Doubleheader Split With Yankees

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Rays Clinch AL East After Doubleheader Split With Yankees

Originally posted on Baseball Now | By Tyler Maher | Last updated Sep 23, 2026 11:41 AM ET

For the first time since 2021, the Tampa Bay Rays are AL East champions.

The Rays clinched the division and the best record in the American League with their 6-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Tuesday night. Tampa Bay bounced back after losing the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader, 2-0, at Yankee Stadium.

The Rays took the nightcap behind another gem from Drew Rasmussen, who racked up 11 strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball. Tampa Bay's ace outdueled Max Fried in a pitching duel that saw only one run across the first six innings, improving his record to 16-5 and his ERA to 2.67.

After scoring just one run in their previous 19 innings, the Rays' offense finally broke out in the late innings on Tuesday night, plating five runs over the final three frames to secure their 96th win of the season.

As the No. 1 seed in the AL, Tampa Bay gets a first-round bye and home-field advantage through the ALCS. That will help as the team pursues its first World Series title in franchise history next month.

This article first appeared on Baseball Now and was syndicated with permission.

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