The New What Next: Rays vs. Indians — the Final Series

The funeral procession that is the Rays’ season will conclude this weekend in Cleveland, where Tampa Bay is slated to take on the Indians in a three-game set. Any hopes of a positive outcome to the season came to pass days ago, and we’re left with an overwhelming desire to just nail the coffin shut. Thursday night’s 11-1 loss to the Red Sox certainly didn’t help.

The New What Next: Enter the Indians — A Series Preview of Sorts

The Tampa Bay Rays resumes their six game home stand Friday, with a three-game weekend series against the Cleveland Indians. Oh…the similarities between the Rays and the Indians. Both teams are under .500, toward (or at) the bottom of their respective divisions. Yet the Indians are on a hot streak, having gone 5-5 in their last 10 games, while the Rays have whimpered — posting a 4-6 record in the same span, and fresh off a sigh-inducing three-game sweep at the hands of the Orioles. Cleveland just completed a 5-2 home stand, capped off by a sweep of Minnesota.

The New What Next: Rays and Indians, A Preview of Sorts

Here we go. The Rays find themselves in the postseason for the fourth time in six years, as they ready themselves to take on the Cleveland Indians, Wednesday night. The winner will earn the privilege to head to Boston for the ALDS. The loser? Well, they’ll pack it up for the season.

The New What Next: Rays vs Indians, A Series Preview of Sorts

The Rays have made up an enormous amount of ground in the AL East — five games to be exact — in the last week, and they’ll attempt to take the series from the 29-24 Indians. The Tribe has struggled lately, having won only three of their last 10 games. However, Cleveland is 17-10 at home and has won their last two games. Furthermore, they’ve won 15 of their last 19 at home, outscoring opponents 105-64. All this is to say, it won’t be easy. Saturday marks the 2013 debut of Chris Archer, who is filling the void left in the wake of David Price’s DL stint.

The New What Next: Good Riddance Baltimore, Hello Cleveland

Well that certainly wasn’t what we’d hoped for out of an opening series. The Orioles took two out of three from the Rays following a 6-3 victory over Tampa Bay at the Trop, Thursday. Chris Davis was again on fire, driving in four on a two-run homer and a two-run double. On the upside, the …