NEW YORK On back-to-back days, the Bronx Bombers were exactly that. The New York Yankees pummeled bottom-of-rotation starters Corey Kluber and Luis Patino, scoring a combined 17 runs in the first two innings of their weekend games at Yankee StadiumThe Rays lost 10-3 on Saturday and 10-4 on Sunday, the first time they've given up double-digit runs on consecutive days since May in Los Angeles.And to that? I say, so McTelvin Agim Jersey what?Look, it would be nice to win the American League East. It would also be nice to go 162-0 every year. It would be nice to play perfect baseball every single night, but that's not reality.On some days, the other team is just better. And the past two days, the Yankees were, well, the Yankees. They played like a team that started the season 61-23 and was in the conversation as having one of the best starts in baseball history.So my point is, there's no shame in losing two games in Yankee Stadium. How it happened starters Corey Kluber and Luis Patino getting pummeled right out of the gate doesn't really even matter.I'm not sad. Neither is Rays manager Kevin Cash.Im really not that disappointed. Its a long season,'' Cash said. "They are a really good team. Were a good team. They beat us up the last two days here.The lineup is too good. The pitching is too good. They hit a glitch at a part of season, and I feel like weve played them well here as of late (winning five of seven games before this weekend) just obviously not the last two days. But theyre a very good team.Patino's lack of control did him in, and the game was over before it started, basically. He's not ready for prime-time, clearly, with just one good outing in five starts this season.The walks certainly played a role in it, Cash said. He just didnt have very good stuff and they were kind of all over everything he was throwing. So it snowballed pretty quick for him.I agree with Cash completely. It's just two lo ses, and the Rays actually position in the wild-card race because the Baltimore Orioles lost twice, too.The Rays are still safely dare I say safely in the playoffs right now, with a six-game lead over the Orioles. Two more days disappeared off the calendar, and the magic number is now 17.In baseball, it's always been about just getting into the playoffs and taking it from there. It's true this year, too. I mean, just look back to last year. The Rays won the AL East easily, posting their first 100-win season ever. But the Red Sox came into the postseason blazing, Caden Sterns Jersey and beat the Rays 3-1 in the first round. Winning the division meant zilch.In my column last Sunday, I mentioned that trying to make up six games on the Yankees would be tough. Their schedule is far easier than the Rays, and that's a lot of ground to cover in a short period of time.It's also the same ground that Baltimore has to cover in the wild-card race, with three teams the Rays, Toronto and Seattle all basically six games ahead of them.Here's what is left of the Rays' 2022 regular season schedule, with 18 of the 24 games against teams still in playoff contention. Fourteen of the final 24 games are on the road:Rays at Toronto Blue Jays, Sept. 12-15 (5 road games):Monday, Sept 12 at 7:07 p.m. ETTuesday, Sept. 13 (Doubleheader at 1:07 p.m., 7:07 p.m. ET)Wednesday, Sept, 14 at 7:07 p.m. ETThursday, Sept. 15 at 3:07 p.m. ETTexas Rangers at Rays, Sept 16-18 (3 home games)Friday, Sept. 16 at 7:10 p.m. ETSaturday, Sept. 17 at 6:10 p.m. ETSunday, Sept. 18 at 1:10 p;.m. ETHouston Astros at Rays Sept. 19-21 (3 home games)Monday, Sept. 19 at 6:40 p.m. ETTuesday, Sept. 20 at 6:40 p.m. ETWednesday, Sept. 21 at 6:40 p.m. ETToronto Blue Jays at Rays Sept. 22-25 (4 home games)Thursday, Sept. 22 at 6:40 p.m. ETFriday, Sept. 23 at 7:10 p.m. ETSaturday, Sept. 24 at 6:10 p.m. ETSunday, Sept. 25 at 1:10 p.m. ETMonday Jamar Johnson Jersey , Sept. 26 Off dayRays at Cleveland Guardians, Sept. 27-29 (3 road games): Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 6:10 p.m. ETWednesday, Sept. 28 at 6:10 p.m. ETThursday, Sept 29. at 6:10 p.m. ETRays at Houston Astros, Sept. 30-Oct. 2 (3 road games):Friday, Sept. 30 at 8:10 p.m. ETSaturday, Oct. 1 at 7:10 p.m. ETSunday, Oct. 2 at 2:10 p.m. ETRays at Boston Red Sox, Oct. 3-5 (3 road games):Monday, Oct.3 at 7:10 p.m. ETTuesday, Oct. 4 at 7:10 p.m. ETWednesday, Oct. 5 at 2:10 p.m. ETThursday, Oct. 6 Off DayWild-Card round (best 2-of-3) beginsFriday, Oct. 7, TBASaturday, Oct. 8, TBA,Sunday, Oct. 9, TBAScroll to ContinueLook at it this way. Even if the Rays just go 12-12 the rest of the year which is entirely po sible considering the schedule Baltimore would have to go 19-5 to pa s them.You really think that's po sible? I sure don't.The only way the Rays don't make the playoffs Craig Morton Jersey is if they completely fall apart, and I don't see that happening either. They are healthy now, at least offensively, and I expect guys like Wander Franco, Manuel Margot and Harold Ramirez to do big things the rest of the month. They were mi sed, for sure. And I don't see Randy Arozarena cooling off any time soon, either.And nothing is more important, of course, then pitcher Shane McClanahan returning to the fold. That little shoulder i sue turned out to be minor, and he is on pace to return on Thursday (Sept. 15), after his 15-day injured list stint expires. He threw around 50 pitches in the bullpen on Saturday and reportedly felt fine. He'll have another bullpen se sion probably on Tuesday, and as long as there are no i sues, he'll start Thursday's series finale in Toronto.McClanahan likely will get four starts to end the season, and then still be on full rest to pitch Game 1 of the playoffs. The Rays have two days to play with between all of his starts, too, so he can pitch on five days' rest instead of four on two occasions, then have a full five or six days of rest before the playoff opener.In other words, he will not be overworked heading into the postseason.To me, that's all that really matters. Sure, winning the division would be nice, but the Yankees are getting healthy, too. Just like it helped the Rays, we saw how much it helped New York just having Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson back in the lineup this weekend.Forty-plus years of covering baseball gives me the knowledge to know that you don't worry about pitchers getting rocked in September who are a part of your postseason plans anyway. Patino certainly isn't, and Kluber's roll will be minor, at best.In that first wild-card series a best two-of-three at the home park of the higher seed the Rays will be set up to pitch Shane McClanahan and Drew Rasmu sen in the first two games P.J. Locke III Jersey of course, we'll all take that and Jeffrey Springs would pitch the third game, if nece sary.There's this factor, too. By Sunday, Oct. 9, if all continues to go well, Tyle