Reality Check: Here Comes Boston. Right... Now.

One series to rule them all.
One series to define them.
One series to make a push-
or in the playoffs we won't find them.
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The gravity of the Rays' situation cannot be overstated.
Boston heads into town for a three-game set in what now becomes a do-or-die situation for the Rays.

I'm going to go out on a fairly short limb here and say that if the Rays don't sweep Boston at the Trop then Durham will soon be losing half their roster. In other words, the fat lady will have sung, and it'll be time to give some of the prospects a shot at some major league playing time (which could be exciting in and of itself, but not nearly as exciting as a late season playoff push would be).

As I'm sure you're already aware, the Rays trail Boston by 5 games in the AL wildcard race so a sweep would put them within 2 games with 25 to play- 3 of which would be against Boston.

This could be the most important 3 game stretch in franchise history (yes, it'd be easy to argue that 3 games of the World Series were bigger, but hear me out).
Although last season's fall classic was gargantuan the reality of the matter is that the Rays had already garnered tons of attention, new fans were arriving by the truckload regardless of the outcome v. Philly, and the Rays had finally after more than a decade made a splash,whereas losing this upcoming series to Boston, and there by extinguishing any chance at a playoff birth, would have an amazingly adverse effect on the national fan base. It would prove every naysayer right (or so they would think- I'd still beg to differ), that the Rays can't hang with the big boys, that 2008 was a fluke, and that the fair-weather/newbie fans would drop like flies.
Oh, and Bostonians would just be laughing their tails off all the way to Fenway, or at least back to their condos in St Pete (which may just be the worst part of all).

One series to rule them all.
One series to define them.
One series to make a push-
or in the playoffs we won't find them.