Rays' Poor Homestand Should Have Tampa Bay Concerned

Should the Tampa Bay Rays be concerned about a bad homestand?

Aug 20, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Chandler Simpson (14) rounds third base to score a run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the fourth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tampa Bay Rays suffered another loss on Thursday to end their home stand, and it is the second straight series in which they suffered defeat. While Tropicana Field has been very good to Tampa Bay this year, a 2-5 homestand was not encouraging to see. 

It has been a great season overall for the Rays, and with September right around the corner, they find themselves in a strong position in the American League. The road to the World Series in the AL very well could run through Tampa Bay, and that would give them a nice advantage. 

The Rays have been one of the best teams at home so far this season, but they really slipped up during their most recent homestand. Following a perfect 9-0 on a West Coast trip, Tampa Bay went just 2-5 against the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays. 

With both of these teams being divisional foes, tough games are to be expected. However, a bad stretch might be a bit of a concern. 

Bad Homestand is Concerning 

Aug 20, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Chris Roycraft (56) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the ninth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Over the last seven games, the Rays really haven’t been able to click, and it is no surprise that they have struggled. To start the homestand, Tampa Bay lost the first three games to the Orioles. While it was just one-run losses in the first two games, including an extra-innings battle, they were smoked 10-2 in the third game. 

Fortunately, the team was able to bounce back in the series finale and avoid the sweep with the return of Shane McClanahan. Getting their star southpaw back is key long-term, and while he wasn’t lights out, he felt good, and that is what is most important. ‘

Following the tough series against Baltimore, the Rays then lost two out of three to the Toronto Blue Jays. Pitching was a bit of a problem for Tampa Bay in this three-game set, allowing 22 runs in three games. 

For a Rays team that isn’t known for their offensive prowess, the pitching staff needs to be better than what was shown against the Blue Jays. Now, as Tampa Bay tries to forget about the bad homestand, they will be back on the road facing the Orioles once again. 

While the overall season has been good and the Rays are still in control of the AL East, a bad homestand against a couple of teams under .500 was far from ideal. The New York Yankees are still within striking distance of Tampa Bay, and they must not take their foot off the gas.