Rays lose finale to Tigers, lead stays 3.5
Tampa Bay split its two games in Detroit to fall to 2-3 over its last five, but the Rays are still 78-54 and 3.5 games clear atop the AL East.
Detroit takes the finale
Tigers4-1Tigers1-4The Rays split their two games in Detroit, beating the Tigers 4-1 on August 24 before losing the finale 4-1 the other way, 1-4, on August 25. That finish leaves Tampa Bay 2-3 in its last five games, a stretch that also included two losses and a win in a three-game set at Baltimore.
Ian Seymour was the one bright spot on the mound during the stretch, working 5.2 innings and allowing three earned runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and no walks.
3.5 up in the East despite the split
| AL East | W | L | Pct | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Rays | 78 | 54 | .591 | — |
 Yankees | 74 | 57 | .565 | 3.5 |
 Red Sox | 73 | 59 | .553 | 5.0 |
 Orioles | 64 | 68 | .485 | 14.0 |
 Blue Jays | 64 | 69 | .481 | 14.5 |
The rough week hasn't cost Tampa Bay its perch. The Rays are 78-54 and sit atop the AL East, with the Yankees second at 74-57 — 3.5 games back with an elimination number of 28 — and the Red Sox third at 73-59, five games back with an elimination number of 26.
Baltimore and Toronto are further off the pace. The Orioles are 64-68, 14 games back with an elimination number of 17, and the Blue Jays are 64-69, 14.5 back with an elimination number of 16 — both closer to being mathematically out than to catching the Rays.
Upcoming
The Rays are in Detroit this afternoon, with Freddy Peralta facing Troy Melton. Peralta is 5-11 with a 5.33 ERA and was tagged with the loss in his last start against Baltimore, allowing 5 earned runs on 7 hits over 7.0 innings with 6 strikeouts. Melton, at 7-2 with a 1.70 ERA, took the loss in his last outing against Kansas City despite allowing just 3 earned runs over 5.2 innings.
Detroit is favored at home, and the market's low-scoring read on this one lines up with Melton's ERA — even with Peralta's rough season, the Tigers' bullpen and Melton's form make a tight, low-scoring afternoon the expected outcome unless Tampa Bay's bats can push through.