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Yankees Fall Behind Rays 2-0 in ALDS After Defensive Blunders
Confirmed
In Short: The New York Yankees committed four errors in Game 2, losing 5-2 to the Tampa Bay Rays and falling behind 2-0 in the ALDS.
The Tampa Bay Rays took advantage of the New York Yankees' sloppy defense, winning Game 2 of the American League Division Series (ALDS) 5-2 on Monday night.
New York's defensive miscues included three errors in the first inning, a new franchise record for the most in one inning of a playoff game.
Yandy Díaz's ground ball to third base, which Ryan McMahon botched, set the tone early for the Rays.
Cam Schlittler, the Yankees' presumptive AL Cy Young winner, threw only 19 pitches in the first inning, escaping with a 1-0 deficit.
The Rays capitalized further in the fifth inning, with Richie Palacios hitting a two-run single to extend their lead.
Ben Rice hit two home runs for the Yankees, but it was not enough to overcome the defensive blunders.
Manager Aaron Boone acknowledged the defensive issues, saying, "Against a good team like that, you can’t afford to make as many mistakes as we did."
The Yankees now face an uphill battle, needing to win three straight games to avoid elimination.
Tampa Bay's ability to put the ball in play and create havoc on defense was a recurring theme, as the Rays are one victory away from reaching the American League Championship Series.
Aaron Judge, the Yankees' star, remains on the injured list and his availability for the series is still uncertain.
The Rays, known for their small-ball approach, outplayed the Yankees in every aspect, leading to a 2-0 series lead.
"It's just as far as him and the field, potentially," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, referring to Judge's status.
What this adds
The Yankees' defensive errors and misplays were a significant factor in their loss, with four errors and three other misplays that were not scored as errors.
The Rays' approach of putting pressure on the defense and their ability to hit the ball in play were key to their victory.
Aaron Judge's status for the series remains uncertain, with the Yankees weighing his potential availability.
Background
Ben Rice hit two home runs for the Yankees, but it was not enough to overcome the defensive blunders.
The New York Yankees swept the Boston Red Sox in the American League Wild Card Series, securing their place in the American League Division Series (ALDS) with a 9-2 victory in Game 2 on Wednesday night.
What's confirmed
- New York became the first team to commit three errors in the first inning of a postseason game since the Oakland Athletics in Game 1 of the 1975 AL Championship Series against Boston, according to Sportsnet Stats.
- The Rays are one victory from reaching the American League Championship Series.
- Ben Rice hit a pair of homers for the Yankees, who are on the verge of elimination -- which would extend their World Series drought to 17 seasons.
- The small-ball Rays chased Schlittler, the likely AL Cy Young Award winner, in the fifth -- aided by New York's defensive miscues.
What's still developing
- This ground ball has to be an out, plain and simple: Not an ideal start for Cam Schlittler and the Yankees pic.twitter.com/p3wGoJExgL The next batter, Jonathan Aranda, followed with a first-pitch ground ball single by a diving McMahon, who was shaded toward shortstop.
- Both of those traits were on full display in Game 2 of the ALDS on Monday ( TB 5, NY 2 ).
- The Yankees went on to make four total errors in a loss that put them in an 0-2 hole in the best-of-five series.
- It could have been a much bigger inning for the Rays.
- It began with Yandy Diaz’s leadoff chopper to third base that Ryan McMahon – who Boone considered replacing in the lineup for a better threat of offense but said he wanted to “prioritize the defense” – whiffed on for the first error.
- The stakes were not quite as high on Monday, but the Yankees turned in an even bigger defensive abomination to put themselves in a 2-0 hole in the ALDS.
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- Especially as the Yankees creep towards its next postseason series against the Tampa Bay Rays, Judge's timeline and likeliness of making the 26-man roster this weekend is still unknown.
- The Yankees have until Saturday morning to submit their final rosters ahead of Game 1 at 6:30 p.m.
- Although Judge has been a part of live batting practice, Boone is still weighing in how, and when, Judge can be utilized against the Rays.
- "But we're looking at the days and so it's more, 'Is he going to be available at some point in this series, potentially, as a player?' That's what we're kind of weighing and then seeing where he's at now these last few days having taken live [batting practice]." The Yankees' postseason run continues tomorrow at 6:30 p.m.
- "That's a byproduct of having a really good clubhouse and a bunch of selfless teammates," Rays manager Kevin Cash said.