The New York Yankees had a ton of momentum after crushing their AL East-rival Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card Series, and it seemed they were ready to take on another division foe in the ALDS.
Instead, the Yankees’ season has come to a close because of the stellar play of the American League’s best team this season: the Tampa Bay Rays.
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The Rays defeated the Yankees, 4-3, to take Game 3 and sweep New York in yet another game of pure fundamentals, timely hitting and one turning point that went their way in this series-deciding matchup.
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With the season on the line, the Yankees sent Max Fried to the mound, their veteran left-hander who said he would pitch no matter what, even though his girlfriend is due to deliver their child any day.
But Fried didn’t have an ace-like outing in this one, giving up four runs on seven hits, including two home runs – solo shots to Ryan Vilade and Victor Mesa Jr.
It was Mesa Jr.’s that was the decider in this game, as he smashed a hanging breaking ball into the famous Yankee Stadium right field bleachers to make it a 4-2 game.
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While that moment was massive for Mesa and the Rays, the rookie outfielder would be involved in a game-changing moment in the bottom of the sixth inning.
As Mesa was enjoying what he did to help his team potentially reach the ALCS, Anthony Volpe was trying to change things for the Yankees when he turned on a Griffin Jax fastball and sent it soaring to left field.
Mesa was tracking the moonshot the whole way to the wall, but it looked like it was running out of room. As Mesa jumped up to attempt to make the out, the ball ended up in the first row. With a runner on base, Volpe sent the Yankees crowd into rapture as he tied the game at four apiece.
But … not so fast.
Spectator interference was called on the play, as video replay was clear after long deliberation that a fan in the first row reached over the wall and touched it before it went over the fence. So, instead of a two-run homer, it was decided that Volpe would go to second base with an RBI double.
It was a 4-3 game, and that ultimately became a deciding factor in this one.
The Rays’ bullpen was stellar from that point on, with manager Kevin Cash eventually giving the ball to his closer, Bryan Baker. Despite allowing his first baserunner of the series on a walk, Baker was able to secure the three outs needed, as he struck out Trent Grisham to start the celebration for reaching the next stage of the postseason.
And once again, the Yankees find themselves on the losing end of a ALDS series against an AL East opponent. Last season, it was the Toronto Blue Jays, who almost won the World Series if it weren’t for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ heroics, defeating the Yankees in the Bronx to send the pinstripes home packing.
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Meanwhile, the Rays, hoping to get back to the World Series for the first time since the 2020 shortened season, will await the winner of the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox ALDS bout. Chicago is up on Cleveland, 2-1, after the Guardians’ 9-3 victory to stay alive earlier on Wednesday.
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