The right-hander allowed one run -- designated hitter Ben Rice's fourth-inning solo home run to lead off the fourth inning -- on three hits while striking out three and walking one in 4.2 innings of Tampa Bay's pivotal Game 2.
"I thought he threw the ball incredibly well," Rays manager Kevin Cash said of Peralta, who was perfect through his first three innings. "We were all super pleased with it, and it was a tough decision. I felt like the changeup started to work just off the edge enough where he wasn't able to get it in the zone. But early on, it was dominant fastball, dominant changeup. It's tough to nitpick anybody that goes through that lineup and gives up a solo homer. Very pleased with Freddy."
Peralta exited the game with runners on first and second base in the fifth inning after catcher Austin Wells' two-out double and third baseman Ryan McMahon's walk.
Left-hander Cam Booser replaced Peralta and walked Rice, loading the bases, before left fielder Cody Bellinger's deep fly ball to center field stranded the Yankees.
"I said that I wanted to finish the fifth because I was competing out there, and I always want to keep the ball," said Peralta, who exited after throwing 43 strikes on 66 pitches. "But I just wanted to give my best since the first pitch until whenever the decision with Cash comes to take me out of the game. I just was focused on giving the best of myself, 100 percent of myself, since the first pitch until the last one."
Peralta went 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 55.1 innings over 10 starts during his regular season with the Rays. He debuted for Tampa Bay Aug. 4.
"They've done it all year, just throwing strikes," said Rays left fielder Jonny DeLuca. "All of our starters are nasty. All of our pitching staff is nasty. Being able to play behind that, it's a good tempo, good rhythm. They're pounding the zone. It doesn't look fun to face them. They've been doing it all year and it's super fun to watch."
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Ryan McMahon is one of the best defensive third basemen in baseball. The first ball hit to him in Game 2 shot up and got away, and the New York Yankees spent the rest of the night chasing it.
The Yankees dug this hole with their own gloves and bats.
Three of the Rays' five runs were unearned. Cam Schlittler, the presumptive AL Cy Young winner, got 13 outs, the shortest postseason start of his career, and spent most of his night pitching with runners his defense put on base.
In the quiet Yankees clubhouse after the loss, Schlittler took responsibility.
"Obviously it starts with me," Schlittler said. "I'll be the first one to say that I didn't do my job, but it didn't seem like we really showed up today."
The offense without Aaron Judge on the roster because of a strained calf isn't bailing anybody out. The Yankees have scored two runs in two games and both of them were solo home runs by Ben Rice.
McMahon's error on Yandy Díaz started the unraveling Monday night.
Jonathan Aranda singled. Junior Caminero grounded to shortstop George Lombard Jr., who backhanded a flip to second for the force, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. tried to force the double play and threw it wide of first base. Díaz scored. Then the Rays challenged a missed catcher's interference call on Austin Wells and won.
"I'd probably still throw it, honestly," Chisholm said. "The play that was trying to be made (was the right one). I feel like I could've made an even better throw."
Four batters, three errors, one run.
Aaron Boone said he didn't necessarily have a problem with Chisholm going for two.
"We've got to play catch," Boone said. "It's the big leagues."
The fifth inning broke it open when Aranda singled, Caminero doubled, and Liam Hicks drove one in with a groundout. Chandler Simpson's chopper deflected off Lombard and Caminero scored, a play ruled a fielder's choice.
"It might have been one that I should have just gone to first," Lombard said.
With two outs, Simpson stole second. Lombard threw away Jonny DeLuca's grounder. DeLuca stole second, too. Richie Palacios lined a single to center, and both runners came home.
It was the Yankees' most errors in a postseason game since Game 4 of the 2019 ALCS against Houston. In Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, defense ended their season. Two errors helped the Dodgers erase a 5-0 deficit, and a catcher's interference charged to Wells set up their go-ahead rally.
Boone wouldn't put this one on his starter.
"Cam did his job," he said. "We didn't give him a good enough chance to really do his job."
Yankees offense has one run in two ALDS games against the Rays, both solo home runs by Rice in Game 2.
The Yankees had one hit in Game 1, the fewest in 447 postseason games in franchise history. They basically gave that back with another mistake. Austin Wells doubled with two outs in the eighth, ran through third base coach Luis Rojas’ stop sign and was easily thrown out at third.
On Monday, Freddy Peralta retired the first nine before Rice tied the game with a homer leading off the fourth. The Yankees' best chance came in the fifth. Wells doubled, McMahon walked, and Kevin Cash pulled Peralta after 4⅔ innings. Left-hander Cam Booser walked Rice to load the bases. Cody Bellinger hit a fly ball to center for the third out.
"Yeah, we didn't get it done," Bellinger said. "We had opportunities."
History says the Yankees have likely dug their own grave with their mistakes.
Under the current format, teams that win the first two games at home in a best-of-five series have advanced 33 of 36 times. The Yankees have pulled it off, though. In 2017, they lost the first two games of the ALDS in Cleveland, then won three straight.
Max Fried starts Game 3 on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET in the Bronx, to try and turn this around.
"Frustration. Maybe a little bit of anger in there," McMahon said. "We're in a hole. That's on us."
Boone said this team has answered before.
"You've got to find out what you're made of," Boone said. "It's gut check time.”
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 05: Cameron Carr #43 of the Los Angeles Lakers goes in for a slam dunk against the Sacramento Kings in the first half of the preseason game at Golden 1 Center on October 05, 2026 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Lakers began their preseason with a 127-103 win over the Kings on Monday night. They led by as much as 33 points and shot 50% from the field and 45.5% from behind the arc. Los Angeles also dished 29 dimes as a team.
Quentin Grimes got the offense going with the first four points. Luka Dončić missed his first two field-goal attempts, while Matisse Thybulle drained a triple for Los Angeles. Darius Acuff Jr. and Zach LaVine combined for eight for Sacramento.
At the 6:50 mark, the Kings were up by one.
Luka started heating up, draining back-to-back triples. It started a 10-2 run for Los Angeles that included a barrage of threes. The Lakers led by six with Luka now in double figures with 13 points.
An assist from Sandro Mamukelashvili led to a wonderfully nasty dunk from Grimes, who now had eight points. The purple and gold led by eight at the end of the first.
Jake LaRavia started the second period scoring four in a row for LA. Acuff Jr. scored on a jumper for the Kings. Los Angeles was cooking from behind the arc, shooting 61%. LaRavia and Grimes knocked down back-to-back triples, forcing Sacramento to call a timeout.
Thybulle added to the onslaught from behind the arc, his second of the half. The Lakers had three players in double figures: Luka with 13, LaRavia with 12 and Grimes with 11. Thybulle was close behind with six.
Luka then proceeded to drain another triple. Cameron Carr scored four points, two of which came on a fast-break dunk. Los Angeles was on an insane 31-5 scoring run.
The Lakers have 19 points off 15 Kings turnovers and it's not even halftime
The Kings put together a cute little 9-0 run, but it didn’t matter because the Lakers led by 26 at halftime.
Ziaire Williams started the third period with his third 3-pointer of the game for LA. The energy dropped significantly as both teams missed many shots. Los Angeles still had all the momentum, though, leading by 24 at the 6:35 mark.
Carr was having a solid showing, shooting 57% from the field for nine points. Jaden Hardy saw some playing time and knocked down a triple for the Lakers. Sacramento’s rookie Acuff Jr. led the team in scoring through three quarters with 19 points.
At the end of the third, the purple and gold were up by 22.
The final frame was cardio, with the deepest depths of the Lakers bench getting all the playing time. Jaden Hardy, Chris Mañon and Carr were the standouts of the final frame.
Key Player Stats:
Luka ended with 21 points, two rebounds, three assists and two steals. Grimes finished with 16 points, shooting 5-7 from the field. LaRavia had 12 points with three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Rookie Cameron Carr had a stellar showing, scoring 19 points with three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Williams logged 13 points. He was a perfect 3-3 from behind the arc.
Thybulle pitched in with six points and two steals. Mamu scored eight points with five assists and two steals. Bronny James scored four points with five rebounds and two assists.
Adou Thiero ended with three points, four rebounds and four assists. Jaden Hardy had eight points off the bench.
The Lakers’ next preseason matchup will be against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday at 7:00 PM PT.
Lakers star Luka Doncic, right, shoots over Sacramento Kings guard Emanuel Sharp during the first half of the Lakers' preseason win Monday night. (Sara Nevis / Associated Press)
The Lakers pressed, switched and swarmed from the opening whistle. After the Sacramento Kings were caught for a shot-clock violation on the first possession of Monday’s preseason game, Luka Doncic raised his fists toward the Lakers bench with a triumphant grin to symbolize the successful start.
But Doncic’s smile toward his teammates had a hint of sarcasm; this is still just an exhibition.
The Lakers teased their new defensive identity in a 127-103 preseason win against the Sacramento Kings on Monday at Golden 1 Center, rolling out their deep group of wings to overcome a short-handed bench.
Playing without star center Walker Kessler, who missed the game with a finger injury, and guard Austin Reaves (ankle), Doncic led the Lakers with 21 points. He took a hard knee to the side of his quad midway through the second quarter, but stayed in the game. With the Lakers up 26 points at halftime, Doncic didn’t need to return.
“We all had fun out there,” said Doncic, who relished the chance to play in his first competitive basketball game in six months, one of the longest breaks of his career. “Especially with Matisse [Thybulle] and Ziaire [Williams], just that beginning of the game, the start, that’s contagious for everybody, and how they start the game, it was inspirational.”
The star guard actually was bringing down the team’s shooting average. While he was three-for-nine from three-point range in the first half, his teammates combined to make nine of their first 13 three-pointers. Williams led with perfect three-for-three shooting from distance with 13 points and one steal while serving as the Lakers’ top on-ball defender. Thybulle, another key defensive offseason addition, had two steals and made two threes.
At halftime, coaches showed players a clip of Williams, a 6-foot-9 forward who signed on a minimum contract, guarding the ball full court. The highlight then showed how Doncic’s energy picked up. Thybulle followed suit.
“You don’t wanna be the only guy out there that’s not being physical, not picking up full, not being a pest,” Williams said. “Coming in, I knew that I saw that the team could use that, someone who could pick up full and could guard the main ball handler and really set the tone on that end. I try to just focus on that every possession.”
Coach JJ Redick, in his third season with the Lakers, said it was the first time in his tenure that he felt the team had multiple players who were capable of handling that defensive responsibility. The Lakers call it their “line of confrontation.” Williams, Thybulle, second-year forward Adou Thiero and guard Quentin Grimes were among the players who guarded the ball full court. The Lakers forced four steals in the first quarter and 15 for the game. They averaged 8.5 per game last season.
The product Monday is far from what the Lakers hope to show in their regular-season opener Oct. 21 against the Golden State Warriors.
Kessler was wearing a splint on his left pinky finger after he jammed it on the backboard during practice last week. Redick doesn’t expect any of the injuries that kept Reaves, guard Collin Sexton (lower body) and two-way forward Arthur Kaluma (lower body) to be long-term.
Reaves, who tweaked his ankle in practice, still went through his pregame warmup routine Monday.
Even without two of their three top players, the Lakers overwhelmed the Kings, who are expected to be among the worst teams in the Western Conference again. Rookie point guard Darius Acuff, the No. 7 pick in last April’s draft, had 19 points with four assists and five turnovers.
The first culprit was third baseman Ryan McMahon. Yandy Díaz tapped the ball and sent it McMahon's way, but it bounced and the defender couldn't grab it, committing the first error.
Two batters later, Junior Caminero hit a dribbler for a ground out that got out Jonathan Aranda. Jazz Chisholm Jr. attempted a quick turn to first base and overthrew Luis García Jr. for the second error.
Then, Liam Hicks was up to bat. When he swung at a pitch, catcher Austin Wells stuck his mitt out too far forward. Hicks' bat grazed the top of his mitt and Wells was called for catcher interference.
Yankees committed three errors, and almost a fourth, in the first inning tonight.
It's the first time in franchise history committing three errors in one inning of a postseason game. pic.twitter.com/jydGJrDBjP
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Jonny DeLuca made contact and sent the ball into left field, where George Lombard Jr. scooped it up. The rookie threw the ball toward first base and it was his turn to overthrow García Jr. It was the fourth error of the game.
There was nearly another error earlier in the inning involving Lombard Jr., but it was ruled a fielder's choice.
The Ottawa Senators are 2-0 to start the new season, but for the second straight game, the good news came with an asterisk.
Tim Stützle scored twice and added an assist as the Senators turned in a highly efficient road performance Monday night, defeating the Boston Bruins 4-1 at TD Garden.
Michael Amadio had a goal and an assist, while Drake Batherson scored his first of the season as the Sens followed up Saturday’s 3-2 victory in Toronto with another road win. The Senators finished with 24 shots on goal and allowed just 19.
But once again, an injury took some of the shine off the result.
After losing top defenceman Jake Sanderson during the season opener, the Senators lost starting goaltender Linus Ullmark against his former team. Ullmark made 10 saves through two periods but was removed to start the third, having "tweaked something" as a result of a collision.
The Senators described the decision to pull him as precautionary, with Samuel Ersson taking over in goal.
For a team already dealing with the loss of its best defenceman, the status of its No. 1 goaltender will now be the next major storyline as the Sens play the second half of a back-to-back Tuesday in Detroit. That was a game that Ersson was likely to start in anyway.
Stützle opened the scoring at 7:39 of the first period, finishing a a great setup from Amadio to give the Sens their first shorthanded goal of the season and an early 1-0 lead.
Less than two minutes later, he struck again, this time using Amadio as a decoy. It didn't officially count as a shorthanded goal, but for all intents and purposes, it was.
That quickly put the Bruins in a 2-0 hole and gave the Senators control that they never relinquished.
Batherson extended the lead to 3-0 just 1:06 into the second period, with Stützle picking up the assist for his third point of the night. After a neutral zone turnover, Stützle picked up the puck and hit his linemate with a stretch pass for a breakaway. Batherson finished with a gorgeous backhand tuck behind Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman.
Amadio then made it 4-0 at 5:19, converting a nice setup from Shane Pinto. Pinto's original shot was disrupted, so he whipped a blind backhand pass to the front of the net and Amadio swatted it home. That gave Amadio his second point of the game and second goal in as many games.
Amadio has been one of the Sens top players so far and it should be noted that, while he's not talked about as much, he's an important player who's in his contract year.
That was more than enough offence to get the W.
Boston finally broke through at 3:30 of the third period when James Hagens scored his second goal of the season. It was a fluky goal after Ersson tried to play the puck and whiffed on his pass attempt behind the Sens net.
But for the second straight game, the Sens played a highly structured third period and thwarted any comeback ideas.
The Senators won't have much time to enjoy the victory or assess the bumps and bruises. They'll travel to Detroit to face the Red Wings Tuesday night, looking to make it three straight wins to open the season.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Aaron Boone kept the lineup intact from Game 1 — most notably keeping a struggling Ryan McMahon at third base — in part because he wanted “to prioritize the defense,” the Yankees manager said a couple of hours before Monday’s first pitch.
McMahon made the first error, a drip that became a flood, in an embarrassing 5-2 loss in Game 2 to the Rays in which the Yankees defense was charged with four errors and probably should have been charged with more.
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“Not great. Not how you draw it up,” McMahon said of a first inning in which he booted a ball, Jazz Chisholm Jr. made an unwise decision to throw to first (which bounced past Luis García Jr.) after recording an out at second and Austin Wells was called for catcher’s interference, which added up to the first unearned run.
The problems started on the second pitch Rays leadoff hitter Yandy Díaz saw, chopping a grounder toward McMahon. The normally sure-handed veteran, perhaps misjudging the springs on the Tropicana Field turf or an infield dirt that played fast, simply missed on his backhand attempt.
“Just kicked up on me a little bit,” said McMahon, who watched the ball skitter past him and then raised his palms wondering what had just happened.
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 at Tropicana Field, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg for New York Post
McMahon did not make a second mistake in the field, but he also did not atone at the plate. He popped out in the third inning, managed a walk (that did not lead to a run) in the fifth and then was subbed out for pinch hitter Paul Goldschmidt in the eighth.
Yankees shortstop José Caballero reacts after the final out of the 9th inning. Charles Wenzelberg for New York Post
In four postseason games, McMahon is 1-for-7 — the lone hit an infield single — with two walks and played despite entering the night 1-for-14 with three walks in his career against Tampa Bay starter Freddy Peralta.
Asked about sticking with McMahon, Boone indicated that he considered starting Anthony Volpe at third base, but he didn’t want his second career start at the spot to be on the bouncy turf in a playoff game. Boone also insisted José Caballero was “very much in play” — and has been every day of the playoffs, he said — “but I just like his versatility and presence off the bench, too.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone makes a pitching change in the seventh inning of Game 2 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg for New York Post
Caballero, a spark plug who had appeared in only one game this postseason before Monday (as a defensive replacement in Game 2 of the wild-card series), played the role of good soldier.
“Everyone wants to be in there, but that’s why we have a manager and he’s the one making decisions,” Caballero said before entering as a defensive replacement at third base. “Just waiting on my time and trying to stay active and prepare for the moment that I get the call and try to help the team.”
The Rays plan to start righty Nick Martinez in Game 3, which normally would mean the lefty-hitting McMahon would get the nod.
Boone has another decision to make.
“Frustration. Maybe a little bit of anger in there,” McMahon said about the mood of the team. “But … the series isn’t over yet.”
"We didn't get it done," said left fielder Cody Bellinger, whose bases-loaded flyout to deep center field ended the fifth inning and kept the game tied at 1-1. "We had opportunities."
New York committed four errors while ace right-hander Cam Schlittler did not have his best stuff.
"These guys work their asses off all year to get to a position like today," said Schlittler, who allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out two and walking one in 4.1 innings pitched. "We expect a lot out of each other. It's been great all year, but we just didn't play our brand of baseball and I know we can play better baseball than that and that starts with me on the mound. We've got to flush it and get ready for Wednesday."
The best-of-five series heads to Yankee Stadium for Wednesday's 8 p.m. Game 3 with left-hander Max Fried set as the Yankees' starting pitcher.
"An opportunity to do something great," said New York manager Aaron Boone. "But it starts one play, one inning at a time. We can't play like that and expect to win, so we've got to come out Wednesday night -- everything's on the line, it's obviously all hands on deck and we've got to try and get one and then go from there.
"We're capable of doing it. This team has been really good at picking themselves up all year. We've faced some really tough moments. Talked about them having a lot of grit -- they've had that all year. We need to find it right now."
Third baseman Ryan McMahon echoed Boone's message as the Yankees exit Tropicana Field in an 0-2 hole.
"It hasn't been won yet," McMahon said. "We'll see that. We'll regroup, respect the loss. Everybody here is a little pissed off, a little upset, but we're where we're at and there's still some games left."
A team has not come back from down 0-2 and won a best-of-five series since the Yankees in the 2017 ALDS when they lost their first two games at the Cleveland Guardians but won the next three to reach the ALCS.
"Definitely going to be a challenge," said designated hitter Ben Rice, whose two solo home runs Monday were New York's only source of offense. "Going down 2-0 doesn't feel good. It's on us to find our way out of it."
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone pulls pitcher Cam Schlittler from the game in the fifth inning of Game 2 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — There might not be a more confident pitcher than Cam Schlittler, who does not doubt himself and did not doubt himself before Game 2.
Sure, he knew that he was about to face a lineup that excels at placing bat on ball. But he also knew he was tied for the third-most strikeouts in the majors this season.
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“I feel like if I need to get one,” he said Saturday, “I’m going to be able to do that.”
Schlittler’s prediction was off the mark because Tampa Bay’s bats were constantly on the mark.
The Yankees ace of aces was not to blame for Monday’s 5-2 loss to the Rays in the division series at Tropicana Field, but he also was not able to play hero as he had in Game 1 of the wild-card series against the Red Sox.
“All I can do is assess my outing and realize that it needs to be better than that,” said Schlittler, who blamed himself after a night he needed the help of his defense, which let him down repeatedly.
After dominating Boston through 6 ¹/₃ scoreless, 10-strikeout innings, Schlittler only punched out two Rays while allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk in 4 ¹/₃ innings.
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) pulls pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) from the game in the fifth inning of Game 2 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg for New York Post
It started immediately, with the aggressive Rays swinging early in counts and making consistent, often loud contact in the first inning. Errors by Ryan McMahon (on a chopper) and Jazz Chisholm Jr. (an ill-advised throw to first after recording an out at second) scored one run, but Schlittler did well to limit the damage.
The game changed, though, in a four-run fifth inning during which the flame-throwing righty needed to throw pitches by Rays bats and could not.
A single by Jonathan Aranda (played conservatively by Spencer Jones, who might have had a chance at a diving catch) and a double from Junior Caminero put runners on second and third without an out in a game that was then tied 1-1.
New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) walks back to the dugout after being pulled from the game by manager Aaron Boone (17) during the fifth inning of Game 2 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays. Charles Wenzelberg for New York Post
Schlittler needed one of those strikeouts. Unlike the Rays, he whiffed.
Liam Hicks managed to make contact — the softest imaginable, a tapper that traveled 5 feet in the air — but the slow roller to Chisholm was good enough to score the go-ahead run.
Next it was Chandler Simpson who fell behind 1-2 but kept fighting, eventually grazing a 3-2 sinker for a swinging bunt that went 4 feet in the air toward George Lombard Jr. The rookie shortstop had a play at the plate and knew it, his eyes toward Austin Wells instead of the ball as he booted it on a backhand attempt to let in another run.
“That’s what they do,” Schlittler said of the Rays. “I let up runs like that in April against them — just choppers in the infield — but that’s what they do. They put pressure on you, and they find a way to get those runs across.”
Schlittler said he “just didn’t have my stuff today,” his velocity up a tick from the regular season but down from his Red Sox start.
More notably, he did not have any help. Appropriately enough, Brent Headrick entered in the fifth and allowed two inherited runners to score.
The Utah Jazz held their annual open practice for fans. It’s an awesome annual event that introduces fans to old and new players. This year, Jazz fans who went got in for free and had free J Dawgs!
It’s also worth checking the comments to see all the Jazz players commenting. Utah invited Hudson, and his family and Keyonte George welcomed him to the floor.
Perhaps some rookie duties here, but I can confidently say that Darryn Peterson is much, much, much, much better at basketball than singing. pic.twitter.com/NljlNKKJp5
The Padres pull off a troll job against the Brewers.
Both the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres continue to troll one another.
While the Brewers were practicing on the field at Petco Park on Monday, the stadium had the cool, calm sound of elevator music blasting from the speakers.
Back Milwaukee, when the Padres were taking batting practice on Saturday, American Family Field was blasting “monotonous” music off the speakers.
The music the Padres have playing during the Brewers workout is a bit different from what you typically hear during batting practice.
San Diego did their best to attempt to drown out the music, as they had a Bluetooth speaker playing music next to their batting cage.
But for the Padres, the attempt to drown out the sound didn’t work as they found themselves down 2-0 in the NLDS.
Padres troll Brewers with elevator music playing off the speakers at Petco Park. AP Photo/Gregory Bull
In both games, the Padres lost in heartbreaking fashion.
On Saturday, San Diego blew a 2-2 lead in the seventh inning from a solo Wilson Contreras home run.
San Diego Padres troll the Milwaukee Brewers by blasting elevator music off the speakers at Petco Park. X / @DarnayTripp
In the ninth inning of that game, Ty France thought he had a go-ahead two-run homer, until the ball bounced off the roof of the stadium and landed in Dustin Harris’ glove.
On Sunday, superstar closing pitcher Mason Miller took the mound with a 3-2 lead in the eighth, in an attempt to make a two-inning save.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JUNE 01: Cleveland Guardians mascot Onion wins the hot dog derby during the sixth inning of the game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on June 01, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I went to game two of the ALDS today by myself.
I am a Guardians Season Ticket Holder, but in my 10-12 games a year, I always take 1-2 of our kids (ages 7, 6, almost 4, and 2). So, today was different. I got a scorecard because keeping score controls my emotions and competitive anxiety. I sat down and started talking to the older gentleman on my left who tolerated my various insights into the game very kindly.
On my right, I allowed a White Sox fan to sit in my assigned seat so he could sit next to his friends. White Sox fan person (a “boss” of some sort) was not profane or abusive. But, he very clearly had only started paying attention the past two weeks, at most. Yet, there he was, standing and screaming in joy as the team I live and die with daily failed to secure a crucial victory. His joy did not appear to be any less than mine would have been despite my significantly superior emotional investment. So… why am I bothering?
At some level, it has to be that I get joy from this. Seeing Anthony Kay spike a throw and allow two runs was joyous. 11 strikeouts from Gavin Williams was a thrill of hope for a weary world to rejoice in. Jo Adell gave me an electric moment where I thought he had deposited one in the bleachers. I do truly revel in the feelings these events produce.
But, at another level, it’s a longing to be part of something bigger and to succeed. Is Cleveland going to be a good place for me and my family to live? That’s a group project. Are we going to survive the threats of A.I., climate change, resurgent fascism, persistent totalitarianism, biological warfare and the billionaire oligarchs that profit from it all as a society? That’s a group project. I’m rooting for us. Watching my baseball team win gives me just a little glimmer of hope that winning the actual important games is possible. It makes me a believe a collection of wildly diverse people with their own special talents and roles can do impossible things when the Guardians beat the Angels on a Wednesday night.
But, the Guardians did not win tonight. The baseball Sabrowski threw to a hitter with a 19 wRC+ vs LHP caught an inch too much of the plate and landed just 36 inches fair. The ball Kwan hit to left field was almost misplayed by Antonacci and landed just inches within his glove. The ball that seemingly hit Jose was just half an inch from being obviously a hit and resulting in two runs when Adell hit his smash… glorious victory just inches away… leaving me with crushing defeat.
When I got home, our three-year old, Zalee, asked me if the Guardians won. I said, “No, but Onion won the hot dog race!” And she squealed in delight. Her primary interest in the game is if Onion wins the hot dog race. When we go to games, she is as disappointed if Onion loses as I am if the Guardians Lose.
In the big scheme of things, is my joy really that much more significant than hers? Is my disappointment more crushing? If I had to guess, I’d assume the opposite is true. Seeing her felt-covered hero of condiment fame triumph is a more significant epochal milestone for her than a World Series title would be in my 43 years on this globe.
But, I suppose I will be successful in teaching her to love this wonderful, awful, joyous, soul-crushing sport like I do (if the aformentioned billionaires let us watch it again next season, of course). Someday, Zalee will cheer, cry, thrill, deflate, and scream like I do. And, the reason that’s ok is that it will be something that reminds her and me that we are in this thing together. That we don’t win without the other feeling joy and pride, and we don’t lose without the other feeling pain and humiliation. And, that’s life. And that’s humanity.
The Guardians didn’t win today. But, Onion did. She swung her purse at the last second and broke the finish line by inches before Ketchup. So, rejoice, Zalee. It’s a good night, after all.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 05: Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates after hitting a double against the New York Yankees during the fifth inning in game two of the American League Division Series at Tropicana Field on October 05, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I hate Tropicana Field. I know many of you do too. If you are not a Yankees fan and are doing what I am also guilty of doing—reading the reactions of salty fans after playoff losses—grab your popcorn. This is the good stuff you’re probably looking for.
It blows my mind that baseball games in 2026 are played at places like this. It honestly blows my mind even more that this place was destroyed by an act of God two years ago, was rebuilt despite plans to replace it in the near future, and is being used for big playoff games. The roof is baseball-colored; there is statistical proof that teams other than the Rays struggle defensively here due to a lack of experience; the turf leads to weird hops that cause more errors to be committed against the Rays than any other team in baseball. It’s the strangest home-field advantage in baseball, and one that the Rays ran roughshod over to take advantage of a Yankees team that was just not focused from the jump tonight—and one that, to be clear, absolutely deserved this atrocious loss, even if it was played in the baseball version of Elysian Fields.
Alright, enough of my anger-filled soapbox. The Yankees set the tone for this one with three brutal first-inning errors, played shoddy defense the rest of the night, and just got Rays’d. Any opportunity they had to use their speed or slap hitting, they used it. The Yankees were not prepared. Aside from two home runs from Ben Rice and an oh-so-close deep flyout from Cody Bellinger with the bases juiced, the offense was dead again in a 5-2 loss that puts the season on the brink.
When you get no-hit for nearly eight innings the game before, you desperately want to get the monkey off your back early the next night. The quality of contact was good in that first inning against Freddy Peralta, with a Ben Rice warning-track flyout and a scorched lineout from Cody Bellinger, but the Yankees went quietly in the first before the utter chaos of the bottom half.
On just Cam Schlittler’s second pitch of the game, Yandy Diaz hit a soft Trop chopper to Ryan McMahon, which he promptly booted after misreading the hop. Jonathan Aranda then lined a single up the middle for the one real hit in the inning. Needing a double play, Schlittler got Junior Caminero to spike a ball into the turf that was snared by George Lombard Jr. for a brilliant flip for a forceout. Unfortunately, Jazz Chisholm Jr. decided to throw the ball into the dugout with no chance to turn two, giving the Rays the early lead.
The defensive inning from hell continued when a three-pitch strikeout from Liam Hicks was overturned into a catcher’s interference. Awarding a batter a base for a check-swing catcher’s interference is dumb, and I will forever believe that. The speedy Chandler Simpson ripped a ball to second for what looked like a tailor-made double play, but an awful throw from Chisholm pulled Lombard off the bag. The rookie shortstop somehow managed to tap the bag after to avoid a fourth error in the inning, and Cam survived the inning from hell with only one run allowed.
We got more Trop shenanigans when Spencer Jones hit a ball a mile high off the C-ring in center field, which was caught by Victor Mesa Jr. Objectively, almost every other team drops that ball because of their lack of experience reading fly balls here, but the Rays caught it, naturally. Two more quick outs had Peralta rolling through two.
Jonny DeLuca golfed an 0-2 curveball in the dirt for a leadoff double in the second, but was stranded on a trio of groundouts surrounding a two-out walk. The bottom of the order went down quietly as well, giving Peralta a perfect game through three innings just one night after Rasmussen’s brilliance. At this point, I’m not sure the vibes could get much worse.
Schlittler continued to grind through the third, allowing singles to Caminero and Simpson, but got out of a jam after a 108.5 mph scorched grounder from DeLuca was fielded cleanly by Lombard to end the threat. Just one batter later, with the Yankees entering their 13th inning of the series with just one hit, Rice allowed everyone on the team and in the fanbase to breathe for a second, smashing a leadoff home run in the fourth to tie the game at one.
Bellinger followed with a single, but was stranded by the next three hitters. Schlittler responded to the desperate gasp for a shutdown inning, retiring the Rays in order with help from a surprisingly solid play by Trent Grisham in center field. Peralta seemed to be cruising again after retiring the first two in the fifth, but things got interesting after a bullet double by Austin Wells and a gritty walk by Ryan McMahon. The ever-aggressive Kevin Cash pulled him for Cam Booser, betting on his lefty specialist to neutralize the best hitters on the team.
He walked Rice on five pitches to bring up Bellinger with the bases loaded. This was the moment. This was where the Yankees could show who they were. For a brief second, it seemed like they would. The All-Star left fielder absolutely pummeled a bad 0-2 fastball to deep center field. 102.9 mph, 405 feet. In 12 ballparks, it’s a grand slam. In some others, it’s off the wall. Unfortunately, as has happened all too many times in the postseason in the Judge era, the big hit fell just a few inches short, landing harmlessly in the glove of DeLuca.
It’s the type of gut punch that takes the air out of a fan, and maybe it took the air out of the team. It’s not how baseball works, but maybe it is. Schlittler allowed a bullet single (that Jones maybe should’ve caught?) and a bullet double from Caminero to set up second and third with nobody out. Usually, a team’s cleanup and five-hole hitters wouldn’t be conducive to 55 and 65 mph choppers that bounce two feet in front of home plate in RBI opportunities, but these are the Rays. Both runs scored on back-to-back Baltimore chops that the Yankees had no chance of getting an out at the plate on, even if Lombard had defended the latter cleanly. That gave the Rays a 3-1 lead.
The frustration didn’t end there. After Brent Headrick entered and struck out Mesa, we got another Trop chop grounder to Lombard. Due to the bounce the ball took and the speed of DeLuca, he had to rush the throw, which forced a long stretch from Luis García Jr. If the play was made cleanly, DeLuca would’ve been out by an eyelash, which tells you how perfect they had to be, but García couldn’t squeeze the throw, and everyone was safe. Another error. One batter later, Richie Palacios hit a two-run single to effectively ice this one, making it 5-1 Rays.
We then hit a weird point in the game. Ian Seymour came in for the Rays as a lefty bulk reliever, but Aaron Boone elected to keep his righties in the dugout. As a fan who was resigned to the outcome after the Palacios single, it seems like nothing, but damn, that’s pretty rough of your manager to be so apathetic in this spot. The lineup had no pulse against him in some rough matchups.
Playing out the string, John Schreiber tossed a scoreless sixth, Ryan Weathers and Paul Blackburn combined for the seventh, and Blackburn and David Bednar combined for the ninth. For the offense, all they had left was another home run for Rice, who continues to have a postseason to remember while his teammates give him no help, like 2018 LeBron.
Bryan Baker got the save in the ninth, 1-2-3, to solidify Game 2 for the Rays. If the Yankees want to win this series and get to the ALCS, they must win three straight against a team they’ve struggled against all year and win a game at Tropicana Field on Saturday after going 2-7 there to start this season, Bleak, I know.
There will be baseball played on Wednesday. After that, it’s up to the Yankees to decide. Game 3 will be at Yankee Stadium at 8 pm EDT. It’s Max Fried (pending the birth of his child) against a pitcher to be determined, but it will likely be Nick Martinez.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Richie Palacios hit a two-run single in a four-run fifth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays took advantage of New York’s sloppy defense, beating Cam Schlittler and the Yankees 5-2 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in their AL Division Series.
The Rays are one victory from reaching the American League Championship Series. Game 3 in the best-of-five playoff is Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.
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. They were dominated by Drew Rasmussen in the series opener and have scored just two runs in two games with three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge out of the lineup due to a calf injury.
The small-ball Rays chased Schlittler, the likely AL Cy Young Award winner, in the fifth aided by New York’s defensive miscues.
Jonathan Aranda lined a single to start the inning and Junior Caminero ripped a double to right-center. With the infield drawn-in except second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., who was standing several feet further back on the dirt, Liam Hicks hit a bouncer to second that scored Aranda for a 2-1 lead. Chisholm’s only play was at first because he wasn’t all the way in like the rest of the infielders.
Chandler Simpson then hit a grounder that shortstop George Lombard Jr. booted, scoring Caminero to make it 3-1. It was initially ruled a hit and then changed to an error and eventually a fielder’s choice. Brent Headrick replaced Schlittler and struck out Victor Mesa Jr. After Simpson stole second, Jonny DeLuca reached on a grounder when Lombard’s throw to first was wide for New York’s fourth error.
Palacios followed with a hard single to center that increased Tampa Bay’s lead to 5-1.
That was plenty of support for one of the best bullpens in the majors.
Freddy Peralta allowed one run and three hits in 4 2/3 innings, Cam Booser pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth and Ian Seymour gave up one run on Rice’s solo shot in three innings. Bryan Baker finished with a perfect ninth for his second save in two games.
Schlittler, who was 14-6 with a 1.95 ERA and dominated Boston in the opener of the wild-card round, lasted 4 1/3 innings. He allowed four runs — two earned — and six hits. Schlittler only fanned two.
Rice sent a 2-2 changeup into the right-field seats to tie it at 1 in the fourth, ending New York’s scoreless drought in the ALDS. Rice hit 41 homers in the regular season. His drive awakened Yankees fans in the ballpark, who were drowned out by Rays fans until that point.
But a sellout crowd of 40,226 was mostly full of cowbell-ringing Rays fans who reveled in New York’s misery.
Peralta retired the first two batters in the fifth before Austin Wells ripped a double and Ryan McMahon walked. Booser replaced Peralta and walked Rice to load the bases but the lefty escaped trouble when Cody Bellinger flied out to the warning track in center.
The Yankees made three errors in the first inning but Schlittler limited the Rays to one run. 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.
Off the catwalk
Yankees rookie Spencer Jones hit a towering flyball off a catwalk at the quirky Trop that was caught by Rays right fielder Mesa for an out in the second inning. Jones kept running around the bases as the ball rattled around and fell to Mesa, who ran over to make the catch in center. DeLuca thought he was camped under it in center field but started pointing upward when the ball hit one of the two rings high above the field and below the roof. Mesa caught it several feet in front of DeLuca. Umpires conferred and confirmed the out, per the stadium’s ground rules.
Up next
Yankees LHP Max Fried (5-5, 2.80 ERA) and Rays RHP Nick Martinez (15-6, 3.10) are the projected starters for Game 3.
Rays second baseman Richie Palacios #1 hits a two-run RBI, in the fifth inning.
Heroes, zeros and the inside pitch from the Yankees’ 5-2 loss to the Rays in Game 2 of the ALDS in St. Petersburg, Fla:
Hero
Old-school baseball. Baseball’s best team at putting the ball in play struck out just four times total in a game started by Cam Schlittler, putting constant pressure on a Yankees defense that wilted.
Rays second baseman Richie Palacios #1 hits a two-run RBI, in the fifth inning. Charles Wenzelberg for New York Post
Zero
The entire Yankees defense. Misplays, four of which were scored as errors, from (in order) Ryan McMahon, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Austin Wells, Spencer Jones, George Lombard Jr., Lombard again and Luis García Jr. led to three unearned runs and one of the ugliest playoff performances you will see.
Unsung Hero
Brooklyn’s Richie Palacios knocked a two-run single in the fifth inning that created far too much distance for a Yankees lineup that has not solved Rays pitching (apart from Ben Rice).
Key Stat
4: Errors by the Yankees — and they probably should have been charged with five — which tied with the second most in franchise postseason history
Quote
“It’s going to be a rough ride back, but you’ve got to find out what you’re made of. It’s gut-check time.”
