ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The AL Wild Card Series opener between the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays drew an announced crowd of just 19,704 to Tropicana Field on Tuesday, the lowest for a postseason game since the 1919 World Series other than during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The crowd for the 4-0 loss to Texas was roughly 5,300 below the listed capacity of Tropicana Field.
The game began at 3:07 p.m. and the start time was not scheduled by Major League Baseball until Sunday evening.
Game 7 of the 1919 World Series drew 13,923 at Redland Field in Cincinnati; the Reds won the best-of-nine series against the Chicago White Sox in eight games, but Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned eight players on the "Black Sox" for life for throwing games.