None of that has slowed Tampa Bay down. The Rays own the best home record in the American League and just took 3 of 4 from the Blue Jays on the road, outscoring Toronto by a combined 22 runs during the winning stretch and pushing their AL East lead to 2.5 games.
Cleveland's form is a mixed bag by comparison. The Guardians dropped 3 of their last 5, including a 1-3 finale loss to Minnesota, but Chase DeLauter and Brayan Rocchio have kept the offense afloat enough to hold onto a wild card spot and the AL Central lead. This series is as much about proving that form on the road as it is about the standings.
The injury report cuts both ways. Cleveland is missing Angel Martinez, who's rehabbing a foot injury in Double-A, while Tampa Bay's list runs longer and deeper — Taylor Walls day-to-day, Jake Fraley and Gavin Lux both out in the outfield, and a bullpen picking up the pieces around several long-term absences. A team with the Rays' offense and rotation depth can survive that; whether it costs them late in a close one is the real question this weekend.