(Photo credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images)

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora has been reminded recently of the grueling September stretch drive as the regular season nears its end, but he fully expects his club to keep playing next month.

Cora and the wild-card-holding Red Sox return to Florida for Friday night's opener of a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays in the final matchups between the division foes this season.

The Red Sox (83-70) lost 5-3 to the Athletics on Thursday afternoon, dropping two of three in the series.

'A good friend of mine told me today that September is to suffer, because you've still got teams around you and you win and you look (at the scoreboard) and you suffer,' Cora said. 'In October, it's head-to-head. You've got control of whatever happens in that series. But in September, everything gets magnified. But you have to enjoy it. We're blessed to be part of this.'

The Red Sox might not feel so blessed with how their scoreboard has looked lately.

In a battle with the New York Yankees for second place in the AL East, Boston has played sub-par baseball for a playoff hopeful by going 7-8 in September.

The club holds the final wild-card spot by a tenuous 1 1/2 games over the Cleveland Guardians, who have won seven straight and are knocking on the postseason door.

Still, Cora doesn't feel he'll be making October tee times anytime soon, adding plainly, 'Our plan is to play in the playoffs.'

In the opener, Boston will send out its best to get the series started on the right foot by turning to lefty Garrett Crochet (16-5, 2.63 ERA).

Since the beginning of June, the veteran hurler in his first season in Boston has a sparkling 12-1 record and a 3.02 ERA, helping to propel the Beantown bunch into postseason position.

He is 1-0 with a 2.63 ERA in three starts and one relief outing against Tampa Bay.

Manager Kevin Cash's Rays (75-78) split four games with the Toronto Blue Jays in a 4-0 shutout win on Thursday behind starter Shane Baz's five scoreless innings, a Carson Williams homer, and Chandler Simpson's second straight three-hit game.

It was the Rays' 11th shutout this season, and the team won the season series against the first-place Blue Jays for the eighth consecutive season by taking seven of 10 matchups.

Williams, who played poorly in the first two games, stepped up in the latter two as he scored the game-winning run on Wednesday before Thursday's long ball, his fourth since debuting on Aug. 22.

The shortstop broke a 0-for-19 skid in the series.

'Any new level you go to, there's going to be challenges,' said Williams, the organization's top prospect. 'Slowly, day by day, I'm going to learn this level as much as I can.'

Drew Rasmussen (10-5, 2.74) will face Crochet in a battle of aces. The right-hander has no decisions in all three September starts with a 3.60 ERA.

Across nine games against Boston, including five starts, Rasmussen is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA.

All-Star third baseman Junior Caminero (back) did not play in Thursday's victory.

--Field Level Media