Rays Finish August With Nine Game Winning Streak

The Tampa Bay Rays closed out one of their best months in franchise history by beating the Boston Red Sox 8-5 on August 31st. The club was 21-6 in the month of August, winning nine in a row and 13 of 14 as the calendar turned to September. The Rays opened up an eight game lead over the second place New York Yankees, who had a 13 game winning streak of their own in the second half of the month. However, New York ended August on a down note, losing four in a row.

The Rays were 84-48 after completion of play on August 31st, tied with the San Francisco Giants for the best record in the majors. Tampa Bay is essentially equally good at home (43-23) and on the road (41-25). The Yankees and Rays meet three more times, in New York the final weekend of the season. The Yankees at this point would be the top Wild Card team in the American League. But the Rays are hitting their stride at the right time as they look to repeat as American League champions.