Blue Jays AL East Recap: Jays Fight to Stay in the Mix

Rays see hopes fade away

Tampa Bay Rays: 33-48

The Tampa Bay Rays limped out of the week, despite sprinting at the start of it. The Rays dazzled with a combination of power and pitching dominance against a division foe in the Red Sox, winning the three-game series.

It was the first time in a long time that the Rays looked as good as they did. The weekend showed us very little of that spark of greatness, as the Rays were handed a four-game sweep by the Tigers. The Rays are not only 14 games outside of first, but also miles from being a .500 team. With a difficult road still ahead of them before the break, Tampa Bays hopes for the season seem all but lost.

Despite having all the pieces for a winning ball club, they have demonstrated very little consistency all season. As we approach the second half of the season, and the trade deadline, it is hard not to imagine the Rays as dealers. They have some excellent players in their ball club, just none of them have been able to produce at the same time as often.

Final Takeaway:

Despite showing a brief glimpse of the team that they could be, the Rays once again regressed into the team they are to end the week. With the odds stacked against him, it is hard not to picture the AL East as being a four-team race now.