I’m not sure why 90 wins feels important. There’s very little difference between 90 wins (and out of the playoffs) and 89 wins (and out of the playoffs). Whether or not the Rays win the final game of the season they’ll be the same team tomorrow, and they’ll have had basically the same season.
But basically the same and exactly the same are not exactly the same.
This season, it’s often felt like more is at stake than just the playoffs. During the offseason, the Rays traded Evan Longoria, Corey Dickerson, and Steven Souza Jr.