NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 28: Jeff Albert #61 of the New York Mets looks on during batting practice before the game against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field on April 28, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets have announced that they are making coaching changes in the wake of an unsuccessful 2026 season. Jeff Albert, Danny Barnes, and Kevin Mahoney will not return to their major league roles next season.
Albert joined the Mets in 2022 as the Director of Hitting Development after four years as a hitting coach with the Cardinals. He became the Director of Major League Hitting in October 2025 after Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes left the organization. The Mets offense ranked 23rd in batting average, 24th in OPS, and 23rd in wRC+ in 2026.
Barnes joined the Mets as a major league assistant coach to Buck Showalter in 2022. He was the Strategy Coach in 2024 and 2025, and became the Quality Assurance Coach in 2026. Barnes formerly pitched for the Blue Jays. Mahoney, a Batting Practice Pitcher, was with the Mets for two years and was formerly with the Yankees organization.
While the Mets are open to all three returning to the organization in different roles, they are also free to speak to other clubs.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 04: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres blows a bubble while batting against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fifth inning in game two of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on October 04, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We’ve got a pair of National League Division games today!
First Game: Braves vs. Dodgers
Series tied 1-1
5pm CST
This is the “I wish both teams could lose” series. The Dodgers are, well, the Dodgers, and the Braves are fine but definitely no San Diego or Milwaukee. God, can you imagine a Dodgers v Brewers NLCS with the Dodgers winning again? Gross.
Man, I wish both teams could win here. The Padres are a blast and always little brothers to the more successful Dodgers, but on the other hand the Brewers are definitely the “Small Market Team” to beat in this year’s playoffs. The Brewers have a lead right now, but they have to clinch it in California.
In theory, for a team that needs to win three straight games to extend its season, the Yankees should have a shot with Max Fried, Carlos Rodón and Cam Schlittler in line to start.
Except there are two ways to sabotage the strong pitching the Yankees pinned their October hopes on, and they have shown both through the first two games of the ALDS: horrific defense and a disappearing lineup.
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And so, the Yankees returned home on the brink of elimination, needing to find their gloves and their bats starting in Game 3 on Wednesday against the Rays to avoid another early start to the offseason.
“I feel like this group has done a really good job all year of bouncing back [from] a tough game, through some tough moments in the season and handled it all very well,” manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday. “So that’s my expectation this time. It has to be. Obviously we’re completely up against it now.
“So we got to bring it on [Wednesday] night. But we also got to — it’s that level of focus with some calm to the whole situation, too, because you don’t want to get in a situation where you’re pressing out there, trying to do more than you’re capable of. It’s about doing your job right now.”
The Yankees will try to become the first team to come back from a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-five series since they did it in the 2017 ALDS against Cleveland.
New York Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake speaks with pitcher Max Fried on the mound in the sixth inning of Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Boone said he was considering lineup changes for Game 3 against Rays right-hander Nick Martinez after using the same batting order for the first two games. Ben Rice and Austin Wells are a combined 4-for-12 with two home runs, two doubles and a walk, but the rest of the lineup is just 1-for-46 with two walks.
“The rest of us got to step up a little bit more,” said Ryan McMahon, who could be replaced by José Caballero at third base, with his bat not offering much and his error the first of four the Yankees committed in Game 2.
New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon reacts after making an error in the first inning of Game 2 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays, Monday, October 5, 2026, at Tropicana Field. Charles Wenzelberg for New York Post
The way the Yankees looked at the plate through the first two games of this series was reminiscent of too many games this summer, all without Aaron Judge, when they did not offer much resistance against opposing starters. They have yet to take a lead against the Rays after never trailing against the Red Sox in their wild-card series.
“I think for us, it’s just going to be working some at-bats against their guys,” Spencer Jones said. “We’ve been getting out early in counts and killing our momentum. So for us, I think it’s just going to be about lengthening those innings, whether it be long at-bats, walks, those kind of things. We haven’t really applied a lot of pressure on that side yet.”
New York Yankees center fielder Spencer Jones reacts after striking out swinging in the seventh inning of Game 1 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, Saturday, October 3, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg for New York Post
Of course, the Yankees also need to play cleaner baseball behind their pitchers, which they knew was essential coming into the series. Boone sat in his office at Tropicana Field on Saturday afternoon, a few hours before the first pitch of Game 1, and reiterated the need for the Yankees to take care of the ball. That came against the backdrop of opposing teams’ scouting reports on the Yankees over the years including to put the ball in play and put pressure on their defense.
“You got to beat us somehow,” Boone said.
The Rays certainly have. In Game 1, they combined shutdown pitching from Drew Rasmussen with taking advantage of Austin Wells’ brutal baserunning blunder in the eighth inning. In Game 2, they continued to put the ball in play and watched the Yankees crumble, their four errors — and a handful of defensive miscues on top of those — opening the floodgates for another Rays win.
The Yankees have largely been better defensively this year than they were in 2024, when it proved to be their downfall in the World Series. But when the defense and baserunning and hitting against strong pitching all come up small in the postseason, it fuels a recurring nightmare the Yankees have lived through in recent Octobers.
“You have to flush it and not let it affect you, but at the same time use it as motivation to kind of stop it right there and prove that that doesn’t define you, or that isn’t the character and it was just kind of like a freak game,” Fried said Tuesday. “It’s important to have a little bit of pride and to be able to say, ‘That’s not us — and we’re going to prove it.’ ”
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 01: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves throws a pitch during the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in game three of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on October 01, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The four remaining NL teams take center stage tonight, and they won’t have to battle Monday Night Football for the sporting world’s attention like their junior circuit counterparts had to last night.
We are treated to quite a tasty matchup between the Dodgers and Braves to get things started, while the Brewers will try to sweep away the Padres in the nightcap. If I had to put money down on how many innings I end up watching in the late window, I would bet two innings or fewer. Gotta get my beauty rest.
Dodgers at Braves, 6:00 p.m., FS1
Series tied 1-1
RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (14-9, 2.53 ERA) vs. LHP Chris Sale (14-9, 2.16 ERA)
The NL Cy Young Award is probably going to Jacob Misiorowski or Cristopher Sánchez, but these two starters featured in Game 3 are sure to get some consideration.
Yamamoto is only in his third big league season, but we already how good he can be, particularly in the playoffs. He had a 1.02 ERA over 17.2 innings in last year’s World Series, taking home MVP honors for the set. Sale owns a career 5.83 ERA as a pitcher in the playoffs, but he has been better than that this fall, already tossing 7.2 innings for the Braves in the Wild Card round.
Dave Roberts has deployed a lineup for this game that sees Shohei Ohtani hitting out of the fifth spot in the order. That is the lowest he has hit in a starting lineup since 2020. The future Hall of Fame is in a legitimate slump right now. He missed most of September, and had a .567 OPS when he did play. That was after a pedestrian .795 OPS in August. He’s 2-for-8 with two strikeouts, no walks, and no extra base hits so far in this series.
Brewers at Padres, 9:30 p.m., FS1
Brewers lead series 2-0
RHP Dustin May (7-9, 4.70 ERA) vs. RHP Nick Pivetta (3-2, 2.86 ERA)
It will be interesting to see how this game flows early on. The Padres are the ones that have to pull out all the stops for a win, but they also have a pitcher on the mound that they probably trust quite a bit. That said, if they see even a wobble, manager Craig Stammen will be forced to go to a bullpen that he has seen be out-pitched twice already.
Meanwhile, the Brewers can let the game come to them a bit. Obviously, they want to win, but if May falls apart early and the game gets out of hand, they may just ask him to bite the bullet so that the relievers can live to see another day. Should the Padres pull this one out, Game 4 is tomorrow night, and a fresh bullpen could be the difference maker.
Oct 7, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; A general shot of an NLDS logo prior to game one of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball series between the Chicago Cubs and the San Francisco Giants at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
A fairly low-key day yesterday in the American League Division Series, with both the White Sox and the Rays following up their Game 1 victories, with another win in Game 2. That gives them a commanding lead: Chicago in particular, now have two chances at home to clinch, and if needed, a third back in Cleveland. Quite impressive for a team who, before this post-season, had last won a playoff series in 2005. Coming just two years after a nightmarish 121-loss season, it’s another way in which the 2026 White Sox are so far reproducing what the 2023 D-backs did. But will they be able to prevail against the Rays, who have looked very competent against the Yankees?
Anyway, in the NL, we’ll be hoping the Braves can take advantage of their success rolling the dice with a bullpen game to even the series, sending Chris Sale to the mound this afternoon. It won’t be easy, going up against the Dodgers staff ace in Yoshinobu Yamamoto (their only pitcher to pass 140 IP). But if anyone can do it, Sale is the Braves’ best bet. Meanwhile in San Diego, the Padres will try and stave off a sweep after a hammer-blow in Milwaukee, after the attempt to use closer Mason Miller for two innings spectacularly backfired. Should be a fun day of baseball, hopefully ending in San Diego being eliminated and the Dodgers on the brink.
Here are the games on order today
Los Angeles Dodgers @ Atlanta Braves 3:00 pm (1-1), FS1
Milwaukee Brewers @ San Diego Padres 6:30 pm (2-0), FS1
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 05: A general view of signage during NLDS Workouts at Petco Park on October 05, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This is a tough time of the year for writing about a team not in the playoffs. MLB likes teams not to make much news while the playoffs are on.
But we do have baseball tonight:
6:00 Eastern Dodgers @ Braves. They are tied at a game each.
Lineups, Ohtani has dropped to fifth in the lineup.
Today’s Lineups
DODGERS
BRAVES
Mookie Betts – SS
Drake Baldwin – C
Freddie Freeman – 1B
Ronald Acuna – DH
Teoscar Hernandez – LF
Matt Olson – 1B
Will Smith – C
Ozzie Albies – 2B
Shohei Ohtani – DH
Michael Harris – CF
Miguel Rojas – 2B
Mauricio Dubon – LF
Andy Pages – CF
Lane Thomas – RF
Kyle Tucker – RF
Austin Riley – 3B
Enrique Hernandez – 3B
Ha-Seong Kim – SS
Y. Yamamoto – RHP
Chris Sale – LHP
9:30 Eastern Brewers @ Padres. No lineups up at the moment. Brewers are up 2-0, so the Padres need this one. Dustin May (4.70, 7-9) starts for the Brewers. Nick Pivetta (3-2, 2.86) starts for the Padres.
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 01: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during Game Three of the National League Wild Card Series presented by AbbVie between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Thursday, October 1, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It’s a pivotal game 3 in the NLDS as the Braves return home to Atlanta. They’ll give the ball to Chris Sale while the Dodgers will start Yoshinobu Yamamoto. First pitch is scheduled for 5pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via Fox/FS1.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 05: A general view of signage during NLDS Workouts at Petco Park on October 05, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today baseball returns its attention to the National League as the Los Angeles Dodgers travel to Atlanta with the series split at one game each. As for the San Diego Padres, it’s win or call it a season as the Milwaukee Brewers have taken a 2-0 lead in the series.
It should be a good day for baseball.
And now to the details.
Los Angeles Dodgers (1-1) @ Atlanta Braves (1-1) — 4:00 PM MDT
Pitching Matchup: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2.53 ERA) vs LHP Chris Sale (2.16 ERA)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 04: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres catches a fly ball hit by Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers during the seventh inning in game two of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on October 04, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This wasn’t how the San Diego Padres drew this up. After two soul-crushing losses to the Milwaukee Brewers, the Friars will now head back to Petco Park with no room for error. They’ll either pull off the ultimate Cinderella story, or it’ll be another in the long line of failed attempts to bring San Diego a championship.
This one stung a little extra. After Ty France was denied a go-ahead home run by a roof, the Padres failed to secure the win in Game 2 when Mason Miller was tasked with recording a six-out save. He had only done it once in his career before. He did not make it twice. Miller got five outs before loading the bases and serving up a two-run single to Jackson Chourio for a walk-off Brewers’ victory.
Taking the mound
Dustin May (MIL) v. Nick Pivetta (SD)
May has spent the majority of this season dealing with immense command issues. In 145 2/3 innings, the right-hander has issued 50 walks and posted a 1.32 WHIP and 4.70 ERA. He was even worse after being traded from the St. Louis Cardinals to Milwaukee, posting 5.65 ERA and 1.42 WHIP.
However, May has dominated San Diego this season. In three starts (22.0 IP) versus the Padres, the veteran starter has surrendered just three earned runs. One of those starts was a complete-game shutout that saw May take a perfect game into the seventh inning. If that’s the version of May the Friars get tonight, it’ll be hard to stave off the inevitable.
Pivetta will be tasked with gifting the Padres a stay of execution. There’s not many starters better equipped to do that. Since returning from the IL, Pivetta has been brilliant. He’s posted a 1.64 ERA in five starts (including his start in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series).
His one flaw has been an inability to work deep into games. Since his return, Pivetta has not pitched more than five innings. He only pitched 3 1/3 in his last playoff start. Thankfully, the bullpen got a rest day on Monday after a tiring weekend in Milwaukee. That should give Pivetta some wiggle room if he struggles.
Batter up!
It’s hard to find anything good about this lineup right now. After looking otherworldly in the Wild Card Series against the Chicago Cubs, they’ve scored a total of five runs in the first two games versus Milwaukee. San Diego’s left 20 runners on base and gone an abysmal 3-for-18 with RISP. That needs to change on a dime if the Padres want to force Game 4.
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Samad Taylor, LF
Manny Machado, 3B
Ty France, 1B
Jackson Merrill, CF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Luis Campusano, DH
Ethan Salas, C
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
France has been the only solid contributor that has consistently proven his value at the plate this series. The slugging first baseman has gone 3-for-7 with two RBI. It would have probably been more had the Milwaukee roof not taken away a would-be go-ahead home run in Game 1. But the Padres have hit, they just need to string those hits together.
Relief corps
It’s worth wondering what made Stammen go to Miller for six outs. He hadn’t used David Morgan yet in the series and could easily have tasked him with at least two outs in the eighth before turning to the closer. Bradgley Rodriguez had finished out the seventh and could have at least started the eighth. What’s done is done, but it’s hard to understand why.
It’s all hands on deck as San Diego tries to stave off elimination in the NLDS. The Padres have every arm available after their rest day on Monday. Jason Adam, Yuki Matsui, Miller, Adrian Morejon, Morgan and Rodriguez will work out of the ‘pen, but Joe Musgrove could also see time if San Diego gets a big lead.
In a game that could have a massive shift in momentum in either direction for both teams, the Atlanta Braves bring future HOFer Chris Sale to the mound amidst one of the best seasons of his career against Yoshinobu Yamamoto during the best season of his young career.
The last time these two pitchers faced off the Braves beat the Dodgers 1-0 when Chris Sale pitched a complete game shutout on August twenty-seventh. A repeat of that exact result is slim, but if Sale could pitch a long game today, it would be welcomed among the bullpen that has already had back-to-back games where they carried the load.
Drake Baldwin was the offensive hero the last time the Braves faced Yamamoto with a solo shot that was the only run of the game.
First pitch is at 6:00 pm EDT. Follow along in the comments.
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 27: Los Angeles pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) pitches during the MLB game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves on August 27th, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 27: Walt Weiss #22 and Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves celebrate after the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Truist Park on August 27, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The venue has changed and the intensity has gone up another notch as well, as the Atlanta Braves suddenly find themselves back at home and with home field advantage against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It’s a massive opportunity for the Braves — even though the task remains difficult against the two-time defending World Series Champions and the hero of the 2025 World Series, himself, Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Either way, the Braves are here for a reason and they’ve also got a big lever to pull in the form of a Chris Sale start in front of the hometown fans as well, so it’s definitely a situation where you feel like both teams have a really good shot at coming out of this ballpark with the crucial 2-1 advantage.
“It’s going to be good TV. Two of the best in the game,” stated manager Walt Weiss when he was asked about the marquee matchup of Sale vs. Yamamoto. “I think that was a match-up this year, right? The 1-0 game. Probably more of the same, I would imagine. But two really good ones.”
When Weiss was asked about the grand pitching lan for this series, he continued to reiterate that he’s been taking things one game at a time. “I think it depends on some different certain circumstances, the state of your bullpen — obviously the focus is on winning that game that day,” explained Weiss as he discussed the extreme surface level details of his plan. “But it can change depending on your circumstances. Like in Game 1, we didn’t have a full bullpen. So going into that game, we knew we couldn’t chase from behind. Just couldn’t do it, because it would have left us shorthanded the next day if we had the lead. So we do what we did in Game 1 and Game 2 we had a full rack, and it allowed us to do the bullpen game.”
“It just depends on where you’re at at that particular point time,” continued Weiss. “You’ve got to be careful looking too far in front of the future because it’s a task at hand always. Obviously that happens a lot during the regular season. That’s part of the daily [routine] in the regular season. But in postseason most of the time you’re focused on that game. But every once in a while, because of the circumstances, you may have to think a little bit differently.”
It’s certainly been a different strategy for Walt Weiss to employ during this series but it’s one that has paid off to the point where the Braves now find themselves tied in the series with two games coming up in Cobb County. Although Rowdy Tellez will be starting this game from the bench, there’s always the chance that he could play a big role in any given game as a pinch-hittter and as such, his thoughts on what lies ahead are as valuable as anybody’s.
When Tellez was asked about Sale and his preparation, he was very complimentary of the future Hall-of-Famer. “I think his ability to flip the switch. He’s pretty calm, mild mannered throughout the day. You hear a song come on and it’s, like, all right, it’s time to go,” explained Tellez as he talked about Sale getting prepared for any given game. “But to be that consistent for that long and be the same guy day in and day out, I think that’s pretty special. Once he gets on the mound, he’s going to give you everything you’ve got. And that gets the guys going, too, knowing that whatever he’s going to do we’re going to try to match his energy and bring whatever we can.”
Tellez doesn’t just have faith in his starter for Game 3, either. He’s feeling pretty good about Sale, Game 4 starter Tyler Mahle and the bullpen’s chances in general as well and expressed as such now that the series has switched venues. “Those are our 1-2. Anytime you can get to the 1-2 and have a chance to win both games it’s going to be huge,” stated Tellez. “Our bullpen has been electric. Obviously Ray [Kerr] went from stocking shelves to punching out Ohtani. So I think our bullpen has been lights out, and I think that’s huge for us going down the stretch and we’re able to save our arms.”
Again, it really can’t be stated enough just how massive of an opportunity this is for the Braves. Sure, it’s going to be tough against a Dodgers lineup that can go off at any given moment but the same could be said of the Braves and some of the hitters that they have to offer. It’ll certainly be a tough one but knowing how Sale usually rises to the occasion and how this team has always seemed to come up big in big-time situations, this seems like a golden opportunity for the Braves to do something special.
“I don’t think anybody’s believed [in the Braves] all the way through, outside this building,” exclaimed Weiss when he was asked about the team’s chances going forward. “As soon as we would slip, they’d just say, aha, I told you so. And then here we come again. That’s been the way the season’s gone.”
Hopefully Atlanta will take advantage of the opportunity and come up huge. We’ll see what happens!
The Mets have made three changes to their coaching staff, the club announced Tuesday.
Director of major league hitting Jeff Albert, quality assurance coach Danny Barnes, and batting practice pitcher Kevin Mahoney will not return to the big league staff roster for the 2027 season. However, the team announced that all three coaches may return to the organization in different roles, but are free to speak with other clubs.
Albert joined the Mets organization in 2022 as director of hitting development. He was promoted to the majors in October 2025.
Barnes, a former Toronto Blue Jays reliever, has served in several roles with the team over the last five seasons, including running major league spring training.
Mahoney, who played and coached in the Yankees organization for 12 years, has been with the Mets' staff for two years.
According to SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes, the Mets are expected to retain the rest of the coaching staff, including hitting coach Troy Snitker, bench coach Kai Correa, and pitching coach Justin Willard, all of whom joined the staff ahead of the 2026 season.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 05: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees looks on from the dugout out before game two of the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on October 05, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees have found themselves in an all-too-familiar situation once again and will fight for survival as they return to the Bronx to face the Rays in an elimination game.
Who’s to blame? Well, let’s look at the facts. The Yankees’ pitching rotation isn’t first on the list, with both Gerrit Cole and Cam Schlittler allowing two or fewer earned runs, but the offense appears to be on life support. Ben Rice is one of the few saving graces for this team, but the infield’s inability to execute has put the whole squad in a distressing situation.
Starting Ryan McMahon at third backfired for the Yankees almost immediately in the first inning, when the third baseman fumbled a routine ground ball that allowed Yandy Díaz to reach safely instead of throwing him out at first. It would be astounding to see him start again on Wednesday night over José Caballero or Anthony Volpe.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. also made an egregious error worth noting in Game 2, completely misfiring his throw to Luis García Jr., which gave Tampa Bay their first run of the evening. His response to the error was even more shocking following the game, when the second baseman admitted that he’d still make the throw despite having his back turned to properly execute it. Chisholm Jr. remains hitless in this series and has yet to make an impact on either side of the ball.
Gerrit Cole battled through a solid five innings in the first game of the series, striking out five batters and giving up only one run. Jonathan Aranda’s long ball was the only scoring on either side, and I’d say that the Yankees’ offense was far more at fault for the 1-0 loss in Game 1.
Cam Schlittler got through 4.1 innings, striking out two and allowing two earned runs in 76 pitches during Game 2, and held back the Rays’ offense long enough for the Yankees’ infield to throw away any hopes of evening the series for their return to the Bronx.
The offense is lifeless in the ALDS
Despite coming off two electric wins scoring a combined 18 runs in the Wild Card Series, the Yankees’ offense was no match for Rays’ ace Drew Rasmussen, who completely dominated the Yankees with 10 strikeouts and a no-hitter through 7.2 innings in Game 1.
Spencer Jones, Trent Grisham, and Cody Bellinger all struck out twice in the first meeting of the ALDS, and the Yankees’ only hit of the night came from Austin Wells with a double in the eighth inning. He unfortunately made the poor decision to ignore coach Luis Rojas’ stop sign and go for the triple, and was tagged out at third by Rays’ third baseman Junior Caminero following an elite play from shortstop Taylor Walls.
Taking a deeper dive into the Pinstripes’ offense, Ben Rice has been one of the only players in the lineup who’s shown up in this series, with a game-tying home run in the fourth of Game 2 and another late home run that cut the deficit. Bellinger was one of two other Yankees who got a hit on Monday night with a single following Rice’s first homer, and gave fans a sliver of hope that this offense might come alive. He also crushed one deep into center, which would’ve been a grand slam in 12 of the 30 ballparks, but it flew into the glove of Jonny DeLuca to send the game into the bottom of the fifth.
Wells got the only other hit of the night, redemption from his erroneous decision-making that was one of the reasons preventing the Yankees from making any headway in Game 1.
It’s clear that the depleted Yankees’ offense and egregious errors cost them their shot at evening the series. This is not an unfamiliar situation, as they’ve started several series on the road down 2-0 in the last five years. The last team in franchise history to erase the 2-0 deficit in a Division Series was the 2017 Yankees, who defeated the Guardians in five and later fell short in the ALCS to the Astros in seven.
Aaron Boone, after sending out an unchanged lineup for most of the postseason so far, must take the heat for failing to lead this team down a different path this time. They’ve been down this grueling road before, but there is little change from each postseason run that ends in the same demoralizing fate year after year. The Yankees ended the 2025 season, notably including a healthy Aaron Judge on the roster, with a four-game ALDS loss and were outscored by the Blue Jays in a combined total of 37-16.
Right now, it’s obvious that this team is completely depleted of offensive momentum, and it’s about time to shuffle the order as the Yankees go into survival mode.
Down 2-0 in the series with a looming return to the Bronx, the Yankees have their work cut out for them to continue this postseason run.
