Rays beat Yankees in second half of doubleheader to clinch AL East title
For the fifth time in franchise history, the Tampa Bay Rays are AL East champions.
Tampa Bay officially clinched the 2026 division title with a 6-1 victory over the New York Yankees in the second half of a doubleheader on Tuesday night.
Drew Rasmussen flirted with history, taking a no-hitter in the seventh inning before Yankees outfielder Heliot Ramos spoiled the bid with a double into left field.
Rasmussen remained in the game to get two more outs, ending his evening with 11 strikeouts and three walks over 6.2 frames.
The victory improved the Rays to 96-61 just one season after finishing fourth in the AL East at 77-85.
Tampa Bay also clinched the first seed in the American League and will have home-field advantage through the ALCS, should it advance that far.
The Rays haven't made the post-season since 2023, when they lost out in the Wild Card Series to the Texas Rangers.
New York will now turn its attention to this year's wild-card round, where it will host the Boston Red Sox, starting next Tuesday.
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