Rays Clinch AL East, Secure AL's No. 1 Seed with 6-1 Win Over Yankees

The Tampa Bay Rays clinched the AL East and locked up the American League’s No. 1 seed Tuesday night, beating the New York Yankees 6-1 in the second game of a split doubleheader at Yankee Stadium behind a dominant start from Drew Rasmussen.

Rasmussen powered the clincher with 11 strikeouts and carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning as Tampa Bay secured both the division title and home-field advantage through the AL Championship Series. The Yankees had won the opener, 2-0, but the Rays answered with the win that mattered most.

At 96-61, Tampa Bay is guaranteed the AL’s best record. That gives the Rays a bye through the Wild Card Series, sends them straight to the Division Series and means they will open the ALDS at home at Tropicana Field on Saturday, Oct. 3. If they advance, they would also host Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 of the ALCS.

Rasmussen’s final line underscored how thoroughly he controlled the game: 6 2/3 innings, one hit, one run, three walks and 11 strikeouts. He threw 114 pitches, a career-high pitch count, and did not allow a hit until Heliot Ramos opened the seventh with a double.

The Yankees eventually scratched out their only run, but by then the Rays had built enough cushion. Tampa Bay finished with 11 hits, and Yandy Díaz led the offense by driving in four runs in the clinching victory.

The title is the fifth division crown in franchise history for the Rays, who previously won the AL East in 2008, 2010, 2020 and 2021. It is also the fourth time Tampa Bay has finished with the American League’s best record, matching 2010, 2020 and 2021 and adding another marker to one of the strongest stretches in club history.

This clinch did not come from a late sprint so much as months of control. Tuesday marked Tampa Bay’s 88th consecutive day in first place, dating to June 27, and the Rays had spent 128 days atop the division overall in 2026. Since July 20, they had gone 40-19, the best record in the majors over that stretch.

“I don’t think anything was handed to us all year,” pitcher Nick Martinez said, according to MLB.com’s postgame recap. “Obviously, I think a lot of guys expected [the Yankees] to run away with it, and [it] probably to be New York, Boston and Toronto at the top.”

Taylor Walls told MLB.com that the Rays had to prove to themselves they could sustain their position as the season wore on.

“It’s kind of a check yourself in the mirror... ‘Dude, are we really this good, or are we about to get our teeth kicked in for the next three weeks?’” Walls said. “But everybody showed up and responded.”

That response now has a clear payoff. The Rays are done worrying about the division race, done with the Wild Card round and set up to begin October at home. With the AL East secured and the league’s top seed in hand, Tampa Bay can turn its full attention to preparing for its ALDS opener on Oct. 3 at Tropicana Field.