HOUSTON — The Rays’ long road to the postseason won’t bring them home for the opening-round Wild Card Series that starts Friday.
A 3-1 loss to Houston on Sunday, combined with Toronto’s win over Boston, eliminated the possibility for Tampa Bay to finish atop the three-team American League wild-card field and host the best-of-three, one-site series.
Where the Rays are headed is not yet set, though Cleveland seems the most likely destination.
That will depend on whether the Rays (86-73) finish second and thus play at the top seed or third and at the AL Central champ Guardians.
Tampa Bay, which heads to Boston for its final three regular-season games, is currently third, starting the day 1½ games behind Seattle, which was playing later Sunday. The Mariners began the day 1½ games behind the Blue Jays.
Home field would be to the Rays’ benefit, given a 51-30 record under the tilted Tropicana Field roof and 35-43 elsewhere. But for the Rays (86-73) to play again at the Trop this season, they will have to get through the opening round and advance to the Division Series, where they would face either the Astros or Yankees.
Sunday, Tampa Bay played another close game against Houston and came up short again, as they can’t break through against elite pitching like the Astros and Guardians have.
It was the sixth time in their last eight games the Rays were held to one or no runs, and 30th for the season, including 11 in September.
Corey Kluber gave the Rays a strong five-inning outing but got off to a rough start. Houston leadoff man Jose Altuve bunted the third pitch down the third-base line for a single, and Jeremy Pena hit the next one over the right-centerfield wall for a 2-0 lead.
But Kluber, making his 31st start — most on the team and his most since 2018 after three injury-marred seasons — settled in after that in working five solid innings.
For the afternoon, Kluber allowed six hits, one walk and four strikeouts, throwing 54 of 78 pitches for strikes.
Easton McGee took over in the sixth, making his major-league debut.
The Rays got one run back in the second but, as has been an issue lately, wasted the chance for more.
Ji-Man Choi, warming at the plate after an extended slump, led off with a double off Luis Garcia, then scored on a single by Christian Bethancourt. But the Rays couldn’t sustain the rally, as Isaac Paredes (on a good play by Alex Bregman), Miles Mastrobuoni and Taylor Walls each grounded out.
The Rays managed only six hits in all.
