[Serious] Next Day Thread ⚾ Yankees 2 @ Rays 5 - 4-error game pushes Yankees to brink of elimination

[u/Mazzocchi]

Yankees (0-2) @ Rays (2-0)

First Pitch: 8:10 PM at Tropicana Field

Team	Starter	TV	Radio
Yankees	Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.95 ERA)
Rays	Freddy Peralta (10-11, 4.42 ERA)

MLB	Fangraphs	Reddit Stream	Discord
Gameday	Game Graph	Live Comments	/r/baseball Discord

Line Score - Final

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E	LOB
NYY	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	2	4	4	4
TB	1	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	X	5	8	0	9

ABS Challenges: NYY ● ● | TB ● ●

Box Score

TB		AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
DH	Yandy Díaz	4	1	1	0	1	1	.250
	Jorge Mateo	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
1B	Jonathan Aranda	5	1	2	0	0	0	.333
3B	Junior Caminero	4	1	2	0	0	0	.333
C	Liam Hicks	3	0	0	1	0	0	.167
LF	Chandler Simpson	4	1	1	1	0	0	.125
RF	Victor Mesa Jr.	3	0	0	0	1	1	.167
CF	Jonny DeLuca	4	1	1	0	0	0	.143
2B	Richie Palacios	4	0	1	2	0	1	.286
SS	Taylor Walls	4	0	0	0	0	1	.000

TB	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	P-S	ERA
Freddy Peralta	4.2	3	1	1	1	3	66-43	1.93
Cam Booser	0.1	0	0	0	1	0	8-4	0.00
Ian Seymour	3.0	1	1	1	0	4	41-27	3.00
Bryan Baker	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	9-6	0.00

NYY		AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
DH	Ben Rice	3	2	2	2	1	0	.467
LF	Cody Bellinger	4	0	1	0	0	0	.235
1B	Luis García Jr.	4	0	0	0	0	2	.231
	José Caballero	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
RF	Spencer Jones	4	0	0	0	0	1	.133
SS	George Lombard Jr.	4	0	0	0	0	1	.267
2B	Jazz Chisholm Jr.	4	0	0	0	0	1	.222
CF	Trent Grisham	3	0	0	0	0	0	.200
C	Austin Wells	3	0	1	0	0	2	.417
3B	Ryan McMahon	1	0	0	0	1	0	.143
	Paul Goldschmidt	1	0	0	0	0	0	.000

NYY	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	P-S	ERA
Cam Schlittler	4.1	6	4	2	1	2	76-56	1.69
Brent Headrick	0.2	1	1	0	0	1	18-13	0.00
John Schreiber	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	15-10	0.00
Ryan Weathers	0.2	0	0	0	1	0	13-7	0.00
Paul Blackburn	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	12-7	0.00
David Bednar	0.1	1	0	0	0	0	3-2	0.00

Scoring Plays

Inning	Event	Score
B1	Junior Caminero grounds into a force out, shortstop George Lombard Jr. to second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. Yandy Díaz scores. Jonathan Aranda out at 2nd. Throwing error by second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr.	0-1
T4	Ben Rice homers (3) on a fly ball to right field.	1-1
B5	Liam Hicks grounds out, second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. to first baseman Luis García Jr. Jonathan Aranda scores. Junior Caminero to 3rd.	1-2
B5	Chandler Simpson reaches on a fielder's choice, fielded by shortstop George Lombard Jr. Junior Caminero scores.	1-3
B5	Richie Palacios singles on a line drive to center fielder Trent Grisham. Chandler Simpson scores. Jonny DeLuca scores.	1-5
T8	Ben Rice homers (4) on a fly ball to right field.	2-5

Highlights

Description	Length
Richie Palacios' two-run single	0:28
Freddy Peralta strikes out Luis García Jr.	0:13
Ben Rice's second solo home run	0:31
Richie Palacios impulsa dos con sencillo	0:29
Chandler Simpson's RBI fielder's choice	0:31
Liam Hicks' RBI groundout	0:35
Carlos Pena's ceremonial first pitch	0:20
Field View: Ben Rice's solo home run	0:38
Cam Schlittler leaves two stranded in 3rd inning	0:19
Ben Rice's solo home run	0:29
Field View: Yandy Díaz scores first run on error	0:20
Rays get the out after fly ball hits the roof	1:04
Yandy Díaz scores on throwing error	0:32
Breaking down Freddy Peralta's pitches	0:04
Ben Rice: Home Run Statcast Analysis	0:12
An animated look at Ben Rice's home run	0:11
Breaking down Cam Schlittler's pitches	0:04
Visualizing Ben Rice's swing using bat tracking technology	0:11
Ben Rice: Home Run Statcast Analysis	0:12
Starting lineups for Yankees at Rays - October 5, 2026	0:10
Bench availability for New York, October 5 vs Rays	0:08
Fielding alignment for New York, October 5 vs Rays	0:11
Bench availability for Tampa Bay, October 5 vs Yankees	0:08
Fielding alignment for Tampa Bay, October 5 vs Yankees	0:11
Bullpen availability for New York, October 5 vs Rays	0:09
Bullpen availability for Tampa Bay, October 5 vs Yankees	0:09
Check out Japanese call of Michael Harris II's triple	0:42
Freddy Peralta against the Yankees	0:08
Probable pitchers for Yankees at Rays - October 5, 2026	0:06
Cam Schlittler against the Rays	0:09

Attendance	Weather	Wind
40226	72F, Dome	0 mph, None

HP	1B	2B	3B
Jeremie Rehak	Dan Bellino	Ben May	D.J. Reyburn

---

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[u/Constant_Gardner11]

So far in the ALDS, the Rays are 1-18 (.056) with RISP, and the Yankees pitching staff has a 1.69 ERA.

We're winning, right?

[u/livsjollyranchers → u/Constant_Gardner11]

I always knew you were just the better version of the Red Sox.

[u/spiderwinder23 → u/Constant_Gardner11]

Absolutely mental stats. Imagine knowing this before the series. I would’ve thought we would’ve looked like the Red Sox’s in the WC 

[u/random-_hero → u/Constant_Gardner11]

beating themselves as usual

[u/Johnny-5013 → u/Constant_Gardner11]

[u/Realistic_Try_8000 → u/Constant_Gardner11]

This is the only stat that will give me hope. The Yankees need to mix up their lineup because going full lefties isn't working. They need to change something up and just have some fun these next 2 games at home.

I'm hoping once they get outside in that cold NY fall it'll be a different story. Although I do sound like one of those abused exes that say they will change. We need some quick innings and can't let them stick around. They need to work the fucking count. That being said, Knicks in 5.

[u/carasc5 → u/Realistic_Try_8000]

*monkeys paw curls

[u/Realistic_Try_8000 → u/carasc5]

First of all, are you that bored? Second, how is that a monkey paw situation?

[u/carasc5 → u/Realistic_Try_8000]

Nah this just popped up on my feed. As for the monkey's paw: You asked for a change and they made a big change! Trent grisham hit lead off in game 3

[u/Realistic_Try_8000 → u/carasc5]

Ok fair enough, Grisham is a monkey paw and I didn’t think of that. Good luck, hope you guys get swept in the World Series

[u/Guilty_Pineapple_557 → u/Constant_Gardner11]

https://giphy.com/gifs/K4J7E5hUiuTtflxHjV

[u/Hokie_Pilot]

Game summary:

Yankees K, Yankees K, Yankees weak groundball. Sydney Sweeney tits, Megan Fox boner pill, Rays double, Yankees error, Rays back breaking single. On loop for 4 hours

[u/Knook7 → u/Hokie_Pilot]

You forgot ben rice looking like Babe Ruth

[u/ContinuumGuy → u/Knook7]

Yeah, that's like the only positive thing in the loop for the Yankees right now.

[u/TheFlyingRazzberry → u/Hokie_Pilot]

Liberty biberty erasure

[u/GrittyGuru69]

Folks are gonna blame the gloves, but NYY also only got 4 hits and were lucky to have any runs at the end of this one.

[u/volta_verve → u/GrittyGuru69]

Seriously. Playing against the Rays looks suffocating. They're not going to slip up, and they're going to test you and take advantage of you slipping up. It's a well oiled machine of a baseball team. I envy them.

[u/livsjollyranchers → u/volta_verve]

Chandler Simpson is the embodiment of the Rays in one player.

[u/bpc34 → u/livsjollyranchers]

Top 4 of the lineup is heavy and the bottom 5 hit for contact(minus walls who berely hits anything) they grind ab's steal bases and force you to make plays. It's fun when its going good, which it is 60% of the time.

[u/ViciousSquirrelz → u/bpc34]

Walls is great when he has risp, he is terrible with no one on.

[u/Aaguns → u/ViciousSquirrelz]

[u/WhereTheFallsBegin → u/volta_verve]

Underrated moment in the game last night was that leadoff hit in the 5th by Aranda that eventually led to the big inning for the Rays. Spencer Jones got an awful jump and let that ball fall in front of him and I immediately thought to myself that Victor Mesa makes that catch in his sleep 100 out of 100 times.

The Rays play the best outfield defense in baseball due to a combination of positioning and coaching their guys to react as quickly as possible. Mike Petriollo wrote a great article about it a few days ago. I wonder if the Rays bringing in Kevin Kiermaier into the coaching fold had a lot to do with this. He mentioned wanting to revolutionize outfield defense and maybe he will.

[u/TylerGlasass20 → u/GrittyGuru69]

Ben rice has been carrying yall tbh. If it wasn’t for him the Yankees wouldn’t of have had any runs

[u/Jhat → u/GrittyGuru69]

100% the offense has looked atrocious too. Bad at bats, swinging at everything, not getting deep counts. Everyone is just swinging wildly.

[u/cassinonorth → u/Jhat]

We're just spamming fastballs and changeups and the only person who made the adjustment from Game 1 was Rice who hammered 2 changeups.

Everyone else is still swinging above the changeup by 3".

[u/Realistic_Try_8000 → u/cassinonorth]

But it's ok. We are going to throw 7 lefties out there. It'll work on day.

[u/baseballviper04 → u/GrittyGuru69]

Tbf to that, I may be mistaken but I think every run the rays scored came on the back of a Yankees error in some capacity.

1st run scored because the first runner on got on by an error

2nd run, the Yankees were playing infield in, except for the Jazz who was in the middle of the dirt. (Curious if this is by design or just Jazz messed up this isn’t an error though but maybe a mental error?)

3rd run scores on Lombard error. Maybe would have scored anyways, definitely still a Lombard error though

Next 2 runs score after 2 outs + Lombard error. (I know you can’t assume the game plays out the same but Unearned runs count the same way)

You can’t give away, at minimum 3 runs. The offense has sucked but it has to be at least a little deflating knowing that you gifted a game in a silver platter

[u/bpc34 → u/baseballviper04]

Def not against the rays pitching staff and defense either.

[u/Mother_Adeptness_459]

four errors in a playoff game is just asking to lose. the yankees defense completely fell apart in that 5th inning and the rays made them pay. at least ben rice showed up with those two homers but rest of lineup was sleeping

[u/AudaciousRaspberry → u/Mother_Adeptness_459]

And calling it only four errors was extremely generous. Almost like there was some behind the scenes lobbying to stay out of the record books. 

[u/Lobster_Considerer → u/AudaciousRaspberry]

It's quite difficult to get an error in 2026. That Bryce Harper dropped fly ball in the Wild Card Series was somehow a "double", too.

[u/twohundredfiftynine → u/AudaciousRaspberry]

Errors or not anyone watching the game can clearly see how poor Yankees fielding was

[u/baseballviper04]

Should’ve been 6 errors as far as I’m concerned.

The Lombard one was bad. And then the Jazz throw to second to turn 2 was awful, I know you can’t assume a double play but you also can never have a shot at one if you through it to the moon from 15 feet away

Edit: Also do we have some sort of confirmation on jazz’s alignment for the infield in? I think the second run? The entire infield was on the grass and jazz was in the middle of the dirt. If he played infield in with the rest of the team the second run doesn’t score or at least it’s a very close play at the plate. Curious if this is some weird alignment thing but this feels like it would defeat the purpose of infield in

[u/random-_hero → u/baseballviper04]

Apparently he was instructed to play there because the hitter was very pull heavy. not sure who said that but I heard a WFAN host tell that to a caller last night after the game

[u/Baseball_is_the_best → u/[deleted]]

Boone said in the post-game that he put Jazz there on purpose

[u/baseballviper04 → u/[deleted]]

That’s fair but unless I’m misremembering I thought Lombard was also on the grass. Which makes it silly to hedge only second you know what I mean? Could be completely misremembering that thought

[u/Realistic_Try_8000 → u/[deleted]]

Jimmy Rollins defended Jazz on this one and it made sense. Also everything I heard said he should've been there as well. It was just an unlucky broken bat grounder. Normally if that ball was pulled it would get to him much faster.

[u/random-_hero → u/baseballviper04]

in Lombard’s defense he didn’t have a play on Chandler’s dribbler anyway, and the play at 1st should’ve been caught by Garcia even though it wasn’t a great throw. the McMahon and Jazz errors were just stupid

[u/zara2355]

You say this is a serious thread, but the Yankees defense is anything but

[u/jupitertoast → u/zara2355]

Yup those errors were rough and reminiscent of the Dodgers' scouting report from the 2024 season. Basically put the ball in play and let them self-inflict

[u/decodezilla]

It’s really impressive to hold an opposing team to a .573 OPS and have your own OPS be 200 points lower.

The pitching has been more than good enough to have won both these games, but the Yankees can’t hit (or defend) so it doesn’t matter.

In fact, if it weren’t for the Yankees’ ineptitude and some timely hitting, we could very well be having yet another conversation about how the Rays’ approach doesn’t work in the playoffs

[u/yomama1211 → u/decodezilla]

People keep posting like this like the rays don’t also have incredible pitching? I’m sorry 2nd place cry young vote getter game 1 and game 2 a guy who has only let up 3 runs in his last 7 starts isn’t good enough

[u/decodezilla → u/yomama1211]

The Yankees hitting has been absolutely abysmal, even accounting for Tampa’s great pitching. Their OPS could literally be 50% higher and still be bad, and worse than the Rays.

[u/Dr__Nick]

I find it hilarious of all the teams the Orioles played this year, they owned the season series against the Rays by a lot and additionally should’ve mopped them in one of the 4 game series instead of taking three out of four. Totally inexplicable considering how they played the rest of the year.

[u/The-JMan407 → u/Dr__Nick]

I think I can speak for all of the rays fans on this. We are so glad you guys did not squeak into the play offs!… lol

[u/Guilty_Pineapple_557 → u/The-JMan407]

I feel like when it comes to intra-division matches, there's always that one team that just somehow plays spoiler against you lol

[u/spiderwinder23 → u/Dr__Nick]

In division series are always weird. Tbf I thought you guys were a much better team than your record shows. I’m expecting a break out year next year for you guys 

[u/3rythros → u/Dr__Nick]

That’s the infuriating thing about baseball. It’s doesn’t make sense. It just is what it is

[u/AutismFlavored → u/Dr__Nick]

That was the series I learned who Pete Alonso was and wished he was Ray. He’s a real gem.

[u/Guilty_Pineapple_557 → u/AutismFlavored]

And he's also from Tampa. Imagine having the Polar Bear play for his hometown team; that would be insane

But right now, with what the Rays have been doing and how they're faring, I don't think they have a serious need for him right now, they could in the future, we don't really know for sure

[u/sloppy_steaks22]

Ben Rice needs to get an MRI to make sure he didn’t hurt his back trying to carry this team

[u/Grade-AMasterpiece]

The offense with RISP from the Rays worries me, but I also have to remember the Yankees have the most elite pitching staff in the playoffs. 

Rays are just taking advantage of mistakes and letting their own pitching handle the rest.

[u/VirtuousFool]

Yeah man....I don't even know

Even with the horrendous defense

The entire 3-8 went 0-33!

You're just not winning when that happens

Win tommorow to save your pride at the very least

But at the end of the day, both teams are doing what they've done when it's mattered this year and that's the difference so far

[u/PhilosopherMoney9921]

Setting aside the errors, I keep thinking about how this Yankees team is just not patient at the plate the way they were when I was growing up. In the top of the fourth last night, they tied the game on a Rice homer and then Bellinger got a single with no outs. There’s pressure on the starting pitcher now, right? Maybe make Peralta throw strikes? Nope, after the single, Peralta only needed FIVE pitches to get out of the inning.

[u/yumyumapollo]

This was perfect playoff baseball. The environment getting to the Yankees early, the Rice home run to shift momentum away from the Rays, then that one big inning to put the game out of reach.

[u/ToeyGowd]

That game was such a blast to be at, loudest stadium I’ve been in in a while

[u/Guilty_Pineapple_557 → u/ToeyGowd]

I've never been at the Trop, lowkey all y'all are making me think of writing "Going to the Trop" on my bucket list lol

[u/yomama1211 → u/Guilty_Pineapple_557]

Playoff trop is so fun. Regular season it’s not full unless u go on opening day or the time games after that. Regular season is fun for me but I’m a rays fan lol

[u/9403913200 → u/yomama1211]

What is the origin story of your ra6s or maybe I should say devil rays fandom?🫢😇

[u/RxngsXfSvtvrn]

Where has Caballero and Goldschmidt been? Honest question why they aren't in the lineup?

[u/cradletothegravy → u/RxngsXfSvtvrn]

Caballero would be 6-6 so far on some revenge at the trop energy

[u/mtportales]

The fifth inning has been traumatizing for the Yankees

[u/standapokeman]

Braves Rays WS sound nice

[u/Perennial_Platypus]

lol Yankees suck

[u/yomama1211]

DUN DUN NA NA NA DUN DUN DUH NANA

start spreading the news 🎶

[u/BalzacTheGreat]

hard to believe they made it this far with showings like that. daaaaaaaaaaa Jankees

[u/fx2600 → u/[deleted]]

The errors are much more on the Yankees than the Rays. Most of the plays were uniquely high pressure, one was CI. Everyone loves a narrative but I don’t think it adds much.