PHILADELPHIA — The Rays rotation for the American League Division Series that begins Oct. 3 will start with Drew Rasmussen, that much is clear if not yet publicly confirmed.

Nick Martinez will be in there as well.

But if the Rays opt to use only three starters for the best-of-five matchup that is played over eight days (with off-days after Games 1, 2 and 4), they may have an interesting decision to make between Freddy Peralta and Griffin Jax.

Peralta, a trade-deadline acquisition from the Mets, made his sixth straight solid outing in Friday’s 2-0 win that was the Rays’ 97th of the season.

He took a shutout into the sixth inning against a veteran Phillies team desperate for a victory to close in on clinching a National League wild-card spot.

Peralta allowed four hits, walked three and struck out four over his 5 1/3 innings. He left with two on, and reliever Cam Booser kept the runners at third and second as a pair of line drives were caught by Tampa Bay infielders.

After adjusting his delivery and regaining his confidence over a four-start stretch following the trade, Peralta has been quite good. Over his last six outings, he is 5-0 with a 0.79 ERA (best in the AL over that span) and 31 strikeouts in 34 innings.

But Jax, slated to start Saturday, has also been impressive. After one rough start to get re-acclimated after a nearly month-long injured list stint due to right elbow discomfort, he also has been dominant.

In three starts, Jax is 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA, allowing seven hits and three walks while striking out 14 in 15 innings.

The Rays don’t necessarily have to decide between Peralta and Jax, as they could start both and use a four-man rotation. That would line up Rasmussen for a potential decisive Game 5, though it would limit Martinez, who has also been very good with a 15-5 record and 2.96 ERA to one start in the series, as he otherwise could pitch Games 2 and 5 with Rasmussen working 1 and 4.

Other factors for the Rays could include:

• Who is better in what role. Jax, who transitioned to starting in late April, has extensive experience coming out of the bullpen and the kind of swing-and-miss stuff that could make him a dynamic multi-inning weapon, while Peralta has been almost exclusively a starter since 2021.

• Who they are playing. The Red Sox, by taking the opener of Friday’s doubleheader in Boston (before flying south to play the Cubs on Sunday at Tropicana Field), are assured of the No. 5 seed, which means the top-seeded Rays play the winner of the Boston-New York Wild Card Series.

• What they’re going to do next. If the Rays start Jax and Peralta sits for eight days, how sharp would he be if inserted into the rotation for the best-of-seven AL Championship Series, for which four starters are needed?

Facing two-time All-Star Cristopher Sanchez on Friday, who they traded as a minor-leaguer in 2019 for Curtis Mead, the Rays grabbed an early lead. With two outs, they got consecutive singles from Junior Caminero, Ryan Vilade and Jonny DeLuca to take a 1-0 lead.

Catcher Nick Fortes made it 2-0 in the second with his sixth homer of the season.

Speedy catalyst Chandler Simpson left the game in the seventh inning, having fouled a ball off the top of his right foot in the sixth. Simpson initially was writhing in pain on the ground, then after getting to his feet walked gingerly around the plate. He stayed in and struck out, then played leftfield in the bottom of the inning.

When the Rays went back to the field in the seventh, with a slim 2-0 lead, Cedric Mullins took over in center, with DeLuca going to right and Vilade to left.

Bryan Baker finished for his majors co-leading 41st save, and 30th consecutive conversion.

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