MLB Weekly Digest September 27th Edition: Rays Clinch AL East Title

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The last week in MLB was about a pair of teams in the American League clinching division titles and a team in the National League who failed to meet expectations.

Tampa Bay Rays Clinch American League East Title for Second Straight Season

For the THIRD year in a row…

𝐖𝐞. 𝐚𝐫𝐞. 𝐢𝐧.#RaysUp pic.twitter.com/govk3iKvrb

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 22, 2021

The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Miami Marlins this past Saturday to clinch the American League East title.

The reigning AL Champs just keep swimming.

For the third straight year, @RaysBaseball will play in the postseason. #CLINCHED pic.twitter.com/M1TyvbXyUH

— MLB (@MLB) September 22, 2021

This marks the fourth time in franchise history and the second consecutive year the Rays have won the AL East division.

The Rays have the best record in the AL at 96-59 and will have home-field advantage through much of the postseason.

The Rays finding success is not a surprise as they have been a consistent team this season.

The club has solid pitching that keeps them in games and a lineup capable of scoring runs.

The team typically has one of the lowest payrolls in MLB, but it has not prevented them from fielding a competitive team.

The only teams with a better record than the Rays are the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League.

This is the fourth time the Rays have won at least 96 games, and one more victory in the regular season will match the franchise record for wins in a single season.

The 2008 team went to the World Series for the first time with a 97-65 record.

Chicago White Sox Clinch First American League Central Title Since 2008

The Chicago White Sox are returning to the postseason for the second straight season after winning the AL Central.

They defeated the Cleveland Indians a couple of days ago to clinch the division.

It is just the second occurrence in a decade the White Sox has made the postseason.

They qualified as a third-place team during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season due to the expanded postseason.

This is the White Sox first division title since 2008 and second since 2005, the last time they won the World Series.

A.L. CENTRAL CHAMPS!

The White Sox capture their first American League Central title since 2008. pic.twitter.com/5TkgKN3zIy

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) September 23, 2021

The White Sox made franchise history as it is the first time they have qualified for the postseason in back-to-back years.

The team was expected to win the AL Central when the season started, as they had a solid starting rotation, stable bullpen, and an extremely potent lineup.

The White Sox dealt with injuries to key players during the regular season, but they weathered the storm.

The team has a talented roster, and hopefully, that will lead to a deep run in the playoffs.

San Diego Padres Eliminated from Postseason with Loss to Atlanta Braves

The San Diego Padres have been eliminated from postseason contention as they lost 10-8 to the Atlanta Braves this past Saturday.

The Padres being eliminated is a major disappointment as they currently sit 78-78 overall and are 6-16 in September.

The Padres began the 2021 season with lofty expectations as they were supposed to contend for the NL West title.

The expectations came as the Padres made several moves in the offseason to improve their roster as they attempted to make the postseason last year.

The Padres might have another busy offseason, but they could make personnel changes instead of adding players.

About Post Author

Chris Lacey

Chris is a New Jersey native whose favorite sports team is the Arizona Diamondbacks. He previously attended Western New England College to study Sports Management. Chris has been following the Diamondbacks since he was 12. You can find him on Twitter at @aecanada12.

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