With two games to play in the regular season, the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays are in a dead heat for the fourth and final playoff spot in the American League.
Should the Red Sox and Rays finish in a tie for the Wild Card, there will be a one-game playoff for the right to move on to the MLB playoffs. By virtue of their 9-4 record against the Red Sox, that game would be played at Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay on Thursday night at 4:05pm ET.
The Red Sox play their final two games of the season in Baltimore against the last place Orioles, while the Rays are at home hosting the AL East Champion New York Yankees.
The Red Sox at one point held a nine game lead over the Rays in the race for the Wild Card, but a historically poor September has allowed the Rays to close the gap and create a sprint to the finish over the final week of the season.
The Red Sox are 2-4 against Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field this season.