Watch: Tommy Pham (2-run homer) and Ji-Man Choi help the unexpected Tampa Bay Rays clinch a playoff birth

 

The Tampa Bay Rays returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2013, clinching an AL wild card berth with a 6-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night behind Tommy Pham’s two-run homer and 4 1/3 hitless innings from Tyler Glasnow.

Tampa Bay will play Oakland on the wild-card game on Wednesday night. The Rays will start Charlie Morton.

At 96-64, the low-budget Rays have their most wins since 2010 and can tie the team record of 97 set in 2008, when they won their only AL pennant and lost to Philadelphia in the World Series.

Tampa Bay began the night with a magic number of two to clinch, and Cleveland lost 8-2 at Washington while the Rays were in the eighth inning.