Rays' Snell: 'I could see us making a playoff push'

The Tampa Bay Rays have won eight straight and they're feeling confident after becoming the first team to sweep the Boston Red Sox in 2018.

Left-hander Blake Snell tossed six innings of two-hit ball while striking out eight on Sunday. He seems to think the Rays are just getting started.

"I could see us making a playoff push," Snell said, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin.

After losing eight in a row at the beginning of June, the Rays have quietly morphed into one of baseball's most impressive teams. They've gone 42-27 since the end of that losing streak and haven't lost more than three straight in that time.

Still, a playoff run seems like a long shot. Even after winning Sunday, the Rays trail the Oakland Athletics for the second wild-card spot by nine games. Catching the division-rival New York Yankees is even more unlikely, as there's a 13-game gap between them in the standings entering Sunday night.

While not insurmountable, claiming a postseason berth will be a difficult hill to climb for the Rays. If they pull it off, it will be a September to remember.