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Because the Mets traded or waived nearly all of their pending free agents (Brooks Raley, David Peterson, A.J. Minter, Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, and Luis Robert Jr.), the only notable pending free agent is Frankie Montas, whose two-year deal blew up due to a mix of injury and ineffectiveness.

Beyond that, it's possible Bo Bichette will opt out of his contract. But it would be an upset, considering that Bichette would be leaving $84 million on the table ($42 million each of the next two seasons) after posting a 97 OPS+ in order to join a free agent market that could be impacted by an expected lockout.

If Bichette opts in, the Mets' starting outfield alignment and left side of the infield will be set, leaving second base and first base as the main question marks. 

With that as a backdrop, it's possible the Mets consider moving on from some of the players who have been roster cogs for the last several seasons but haven't yet established themselves. 

One of the players the Mets could part ways with is Mark Vientos.

Vientos, who will be entering his age-27 season in 2027, is arbitration-eligible for the first time.

Will the Mets trade or DFA Vientos this offseason? Should they?

WHY IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO TRADE OR NON-TENDER VIENTOS

Aside from his 2024 season, when it looked like Vientos might be emerging as a lineup regular with serious power potential, it has been a struggle for him in the majors.

Vientos posted a combined .610 OPS in 2022 and 2023 across 81 games in his first taste of the bigs, and he was a below average offensive player in 2025 -- slashing .233/.289/.413 with 17 homers in 121 games.

This past season saw further regression from Vientos at the plate, as he hit just .212/.258/.394 (.652 OPS, 81 OPS+) in 87 games.

His advanced metrics when it came to average exit velocity, hard hit percentage, and barrel percentage remained above average, but Vientos was below average in most other key metrics tracked by Baseball Savant. That included a walk rate that was near the bottom of the league. 

Meanwhile, Vientos' defense remained an issue, as he was worth -9 OAA. Almost all of his defensive innings came at first base, where he appeared 67 times (Vientos' other three games in the field were at third base). While Vientos has worked hard to hone his skills defensively, including extensive work at third base, he's been a consistently below average defender for his entire career. 

When looking at how New York's roster shapes up now and the possible additions they could make this winter, there doesn't seem to be much room for Vientos.

As things presently stand, first base could be a platoon situation with Jared Young getting the bulk of the at-bats against right-handed pitchers. But given Young's relative lack of power and difficulties against left-handed pitching, it can be argued that the Mets should be seeking a starting first baseman via free agency or trade -- or at the very least a right-handed complement to Young. 

The DH situation could also be crowded, with Brett Baty (who could also get time at second base) and Jorge Polanco (health-permitting) among the potential options there. The Mets will also likely look to get Juan Soto off his feet regularly, meaning DH will be his on days he doesn't start in left field. 

WHY IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO KEEP VIENTOS

For all of his flaws, Vientos still hits the ball really hard and has legitimate home run power. 

Vientos is also under team control for three more seasons and is set to make only $2.4 million in 2027 via arbitration.

And while the DH situation could be crowded, it's also possible the opposite comes to be. In a scenario where the Mets add a legitimate starting first baseman, Baty is starting regularly at second base, and Polanco's injury issues persist, there could be lots of at-bats to go around. 

Beyond Vientos, the Mets don't have many other DH options, unless they're prepared to give a serious look to Ronny Mauricio, who is out of options and has never shown any indication his chase rate will drop low enough to make him a viable big league player. 

It's also conceivable the Mets keep Vientos as a bench piece/part-time player who can provide right-handed pop.

If the Mets don't make relatively big external additions at first base or DH, it stands to reason that there will be more room for someone like Vientos. If the Mets do add at one or both of those spots, it seems likely Vientos will be squeezed out.

VERDICT

Before Vientos returned from the IL at the end of August, then-interim manager Andy Green was blunt about what his role would be. 

"I don't know," Green said. "I was very forthright with him when he started the rehab assignment that a lot of that will be dictated by how others perform and also by how he performs. Still think there’s a very bright future for him out there if he wants to grab a hold of it. That’s on him."

Green added:

"When he gets back in the box, take advantage of the at-bats you do get. Prove you deserve more at-bats," Green continued. "I think people get into different phases in their career at different points in time. He has all the talent that he possessed in ‘24 when he was hitting close to 30 home runs and didn’t start the season with the big league club. It’s all right there. It’s on him for that to come out. We certainly want to see it come out. It’s not going to be a perfectly laid path for him, though, when he does come back."

Given how straightforward Green often is and the way he challenges players, it wasn't a departure for him to speak that way about Vientos. But it was still notable.

After being activated, Vientos was pretty much the player he had been earlier in the season, as he hit .216/.268/.432 with two homers in 41 plate appearances over 14 games.

For all the promise Vientos showed in 2024, his last two seasons have been a disappointing slog. And this offseason feels like the time to move on.

Boy, that Wild Card round was fun.

Not so much what has happened since then.

The team with the best record in baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers, has played like it in the first two games of the San Diego Padres’ second playoff round. After earning a bye in the Wild Card round, the Brewers came out ready to take advantage of the Padres’ weaknesses. The Friars provided those weaknesses in both games, and the Brewers cashed in.

That is not to say that Milwaukee has played flawless baseball; far from it. Mistakes have been made on both sides, but the Brewers have taken advantage, and the Padres have not.

The Friar Faithful now see their team come home with their backs against a wall. The team must win out over the next two home games and then return to Milwaukee for a decisive fifth game in order to advance. 

The first two games were one-run affairs, decided by the Brewers getting timely hits and taking advantage of the Padres’ inability to do the same. There have also been some hiccups with the Padres bullpen that have not been echoed by Milwaukee.

All in all, the Brewers have been the better team. They had home field advantage and played very well.

The good and the bad

The Wild Card Series was tremendous.

Playing the Chicago Cubs, the Padres did almost everything right. Lots of hitting, great baserunning, good pitching, and a home crowd that provided energy. Not much to complain about with those two games.

Let’s start by giving some flowers to the good. Ty France has been spectacular. Hitting .467/.529/.533 over the four games, France has played excellent defense while batting cleanup on offense. He continues to hold up his end of the bargain.

Manny Machado is hitting .385/.438/.769 in the four games with one of the four home runs hit by the Padres. Xander Bogaerts is continuing his late-season surge with a .357 average and 1.081 OPS in his 14 at-bats with a home run. Starter Michael King has two starts and 12 innings pitched with a 0.75 ERA while accumulating 14 strikeouts to three walks.

The Friars hit .454 with runners in scoring position during the Wild Card round. They executed in serious situations while outscoring the Cubs 12-1.

All that changed in Milwaukee.

In the two losses, the Padres were 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position with 20 left on base. Multiple members of the team failed in this area. Machado is 0-for-2 with RISP and grounded out with the bases loaded in the first game.

But the biggest problem facing the offense so far this series is the failure of Fernando Tatis Jr. to make anything happen. For the Padres to turn this around, Tatis has to get going.

Fernando Tatis Jr. is in a slump

In his first two postseason appearances (2020 and 2024), Tatis hit .318 and .423, respectively. In the 2025 Wild Card Series against the Cubs, Tatis joined his teammates in an offensive drought, hitting just .083. During the recently completed regular season, Tatis suffered a power outage for the first two months but has come on strong over the last four months of the season. Finishing the year hitting .289 with a .828 OPS, Tatis had 25 homers and 83 RBI.

The postseason has been a different story. Over the four games and 17 at-bats, Tatis is hitting .176 with a .575 OPS. He has one home run and one RBI while striking out five times.

The stars have to star

For the Padres to rebound from the disappointment in Milwaukee, the star players have to play like stars. France and Bogaerts are performing like the standout players need to play. Tatis has not held up his part of the bargain, and Jackson Merrill has looked a lot like the Merrill of the early season. Hitting .313 in his 16 at-bats, Merrill has a .666 OPS with no extra-base hits and two RBI. He is swinging at balls and has five strikeouts to show for it. 

The offense can still recover but both Tatis and Merrill have to wake up at the plate.

Pitching problems

Michael King and Nick Pivetta have delivered, limiting the opposition to two runs over their combined 15.1 innings pitched. Bradgley Rodriguez and Yuki Matsui have shined out of the bullpen with no runs allowed over seven innings combined. Jason Adam has allowed no hits over two innings pitched.

The problems have come down to the start by Robbie Ray with a 6.75 ERA and rare hiccups from the two highest-leverage and most successful bullpen arms on the team, Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller. 

The Brewers hitters have worked both of them for mistakes and took advantage of a rare loss of command by Miller. Those are the difference makers in the two lost games in Milwaukee. 

Giving the bullpen a break

More offense and more timely execution will lead to more runs. Those runs will give the pitchers some breathing room for mistakes or a bad day. The real issue is that the offense needs to be better for the Friars to bounce back from the disappointment of the first two games in Milwaukee. 

Get Tatis and Merrill going to provide more depth offensively and the pressure will ease on the bullpen. That should be the recipe for success in the next three games.

Padres News:

• Talk on social media after the Brewers came back with a walk-off win on Game 2 was that Padres closer Mason Miller might have been tipping his pitches. He does not think so.

• Despite their 0-2 deficit, the Padres believe they can still win the NLDS.

• Ty France is arguably the Padres’ team MVP for the 2026 season, but he is still trying to prove he belongs.

• As Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball stated in the body of this post, the stars are going to have to star if the Padres have any chance to come back in the series and Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune agrees.

• The Padres know it’s win or stay home, so they are taking a direct approach to the next three games with hopes of returning to Milwaukee.

• Adrian Morejon has an additional coach to help him through times he struggles and outside of one pitch to William Contreras in Game 1 of the NLDS, it seems to work.

• Walker Buehler returns to NLDS roster for San Diego after paternity leave.

Baseball News:

• The Tampa Bay Rays scored four runs in the fifth inning en route to a win over the New York Yankees and a 2-0 series lead.

• The Chicago White Sox return home with a chance to win the series after winning both road games against the Cleveland Guardians.

The drama is at least partly behind us. The Braves feel like they’re getting Full Strength Chris Sale for Game 3.

So, what does that mean? Or, more specifically, what does that mean in light of a game after an off day, but also after the Braves went Johnny Much-of-the-Staff in Games 1 and 2 of this series?

Sale went 6 1/3 in his outing against the Phillies. He averaged right around six innings a start over the course of the season. In his two starts against the Dodgers, he went seven and nine. Of course, the answer is, “He’ll go as long as something resembling prudent,” but I guess my question is, what’s that gonna be? Will it be another six-ish innings, or will the Braves feel compelled, if he’s rolling and stuff is close, to push him further than they otherwise would given the usage of the rest of the pitching roster earlier in this series?

I’ll say that he pitches into the seventh but doesn’t finish it, like his first postseason start. What about you?

When the Orioles acquired Blaze Alexander, Jordan Westburg was reportedly only suffering from mild oblique discomfort. The team did not yet know that the former All Star would undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the duration of the season. Jackson Holliday, primed for a breakout year, suffered a broken hamate bone the day after Baltimore made the trade.

Mike Elias missed on plenty of things in 2026, but he was right to trust his instinct that the team needed more infield depth. Alexander was out of minor-league options, so he was always going to make the team, but many projected the 27-year-old to beat out Jeremiah Jackson for a utility spot. Instead, Alexander broke camp as the team’s starting second baseman.

As it turned out, Alexander needed some time to adjust to his new role. Craig Albernaz still leaned on his defensively versatility—Alexander appeared at second base, shortstop, third base, and all three outfield positions by the end of April—but he received at bats like an everyday player. The former Diamondback slashed a disappointing .177/.250/.210 over his first 25 games in Baltimore.

Briefly, fans wondered if Arizona had gotten the best of Baltimore. The Orioles sent right-handed reliever Kade Strowd and two prospects to the Diamondbacks, and the O’s could have used a reliever with Strowd’s 1.71 ERA from 2025.

That notion changed in a hurry. Alexander broke out in the month of May with a .365/.403/.508 line over 25 games. The team struggled to find its footing, but Alexander kept his foot on the gas. He slashed .359/.417/.547 over 23 games in June and carried a .375/.429/.531 line through nine games in July.

Alexander’s strong play helped get the Orioles somewhat back on track. They entered the All Star break riding their first four-game win streak of the season, and a playoff run still felt somewhat obtainable at 46-51. Unfortunately, Orioles fans cannot have nice things.

Royals reliever Lucas Erceg fired a quick-pitch fastball inside to Alexander. The ball struck Alexander and caused a non-displaced fracture in his left hand. The benches cleared, but no punches were thrown. Even after securing an elusive fourth consecutive victory, the 2026 Orioles took another gut punch.

Alexander remained out of the lineup until the end of August, but the team managed to tread water in his absence. Coby Mayo steadied his defense at third base while emerging as one of the league’s best hitters against left-handed pitching. Holliday heated up with a .368/.500/.421 slash line in the month of July. The lineup suffered when Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo went down with injuries, but the team avoided a complete collapse after the trade deadline.

Alexander returned on August 28. The O’s completed a sweep of the Athletics and returned to .500 when Colton Cowser made a game-saving catch against the Rockies. With Alexander back, and the Orioles sitting at 69-69, the postseason felt completely obtainable.

Of course, that’s not how things worked out. Baltimore suffered a letdown in Colorado before melting down against the Red Sox. Alexander, to his credit, attempted to generate a spark in the Boston series, but his teammates simply were not up to the task. The Sox essentially ended Baltimore’s playoff dreams with a four-game sweep. Alexander hit the injured list a few days later with back spasms and missed the remainder of the season.

Alexander ranked as high as Arizona’s 11th best prospect in 2023, and he posted 1.7 WAR with the Snakes in 2025. Baltimore enticed the Diamondbacks to part ways by offering Strowd, Wellington Aracena, and José Mejía. Aracena was ranked Baltimore’s 26th best prospect at the time.

In a surprising turn of events, Strowd made only two appearances for the Diamondbacks last season. He posted a 6.02 and 1.748 over 46.1 innings at Triple-A Reno. Aracena went 2-5 with a 4.83 ERA before posting a 6.91 ERA over six starts at Double-A. Mejía slashed .251/.367/.373 between Low and High A.

Alexander is still out of minor-league options, but he’s under team control until 2031. Baltimore’s infield faces plenty of questions with Westburg’s health, Holliday’s bat, and Mayo’s glove. There’s definitely room for Alexander on the roster, and he’ll continue to earn everyday at bats if he swings it like he did last season.

The path to playing time could be easier in the outfield, but Alexander’s glove plays better in the dirt. The Orioles need to get better defensively next season, and Alexander has yet to play like a plus defender in the outfield. Gunnar Henderson remains entrenched at short, and the O’s would love to see Holliday and Westburg lock up their positions. Will the Orioles look to get Alexander extra reps in the outfield next spring?

Either way, his defensive versatility balances out the lack of options. It took a little time, but Alexander emerged as one of Baltimore’s best hitters in the first half. It’s probably not fair to expect the same results next season, but there’s plenty to like with Alexander in 2027 and beyond.

Good morning.

Kennedi Landry writes about her preseason 2026 Texas Rangers predictions and how no one could have predicted the 2026 Texas Rangers despite the 2026 Texas Rangers being exactly who everyone thought they were.

In other news, Jon Daniels’ Tampa Bay Rays are close to facing Will Venable’s Chicago White Sox in the ALCS if they each can win one more game, though it would take Chicago besting Nathaniel Lowe’s Cleveland Guardians to clinch a postseason series at home for the first time since 1906.

Meanwhile, Chris Woodward’s Los Angeles Dodgers are heading to Atlanta to take on Martin Perez’s Braves with their NLDS series tied at one game apiece while Grant Anderson’s Milwaukee Brewers are up 2-0 on A.J. Preller’s San Diego Padres.

And that’s all for today. How’s autumn looking for you? Spice any gourds lately?

Have a nice day!

The theme of this Phillies offseason is once again change. That could have been said for each of the last few offseasons except this time, it feels as if the team has no choice but to finally embrace it. There will be new faces in the lineup whenever the 2027 Phillies take the field, the question is how many.

At a minimum, it’s likely that there will be at least two new starters just based on the team’s impending free agents. The biggest possible exit is Alec Bohm, who after two years of the team reportedly trying to trade him, seems an almost lock to be playing elsewhere in 2027. That means the Phillies will have to find a new starting third baseman. Theoretically, that could be top prospect Aidan Miller, but expecting him to make the big league club in the spring despite missing practically all of 2026 with back issues is a foolhardy idea. Miller probably shouldn’t be considered an option until mid-season at best, therefore leaving the starting 3B job open with utility infielder Edmundo Sosa also scheduled to hit free agency. The Phillies will need to find someone to man the hot corner until July at the earliest.

Besides the impending hole at third, there is also the revolving door of corner outfielders to attempt to solve once again. The last two years the Phillies elected to sign a pair of veteran outfielders to one-year deals in Max Kepler and Adolis Garcia. Kepler was woefully ineffective and Garcia wasn’t doing much before being lost for the season with a shoulder injury in June. The options became so dire in 2026 that Derek Hill and Bryan De La Cruz were starting postseason games for the Phillies, especially in the wake of Brandon Marsh’s abysmal second half. The safe bet is that the Phillies will at least have a new starting right fielder next season.

Of course, this offseason is going to be the furthest thing from normal, with an impending lockout threatening the timing of free agency and the season itself. It will be hard to evaluate just exactly what options the Phillies will have in front of them for upgrades, but either way, they will have to find some.

So, how many new regulars will be in the Phillies lineup in 2027?

Jazz Chisholm Jr. has no regrets about his wild off-balance throw from second base that helped put the Yankees in an immediate hole.

With runners on first and second and no one out, George Lombard Jr. turned a potential double-play ball to Chisholm Jr., who immediately threw out of control to first baseman Luis Garcia Jr., allowing Yandy Diaz to score.

It would have been difficult for Chisholm Jr. to turn the double play with Junior Caminero hustling down the line but Chisholm’s out-of-control throw added to the Yankees’ first-inning woes that started with a Ryan McMahon error on a Diaz grounder to start the game.

“Honestly, I’d probably still throw it,” Chisholm Jr. told reporters after the Rays beat the Yankees 5-2 in Game 2 of the ALDS.

“The play was trying to be made. I just feel like I could have probably tried to make an even better throw. Where I’d throw it, I’d try and throw it a little more closer to the base. My back was turned.”

The admission by Chisholm Jr., or lack of responsibility from him, has sparked some outrage online as the Yankees continued to play poor fundamental baseball in the playoffs.

Aaron Boone’s group made four horrific errors, and made routine plays look difficult for much of the game.

Chisholm Jr. was then a bit too far back on a fifth-inning ground ball where the score was tied 1-1.

Liam Hicks hit a ground ball right to him. The Yankee second baseman was too far back to go home with the ball and instead had to take the out at first, allowing Tampa Bay to retake the lead.

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It is unclear whether Chisholm Jr. was back on the play by design or if he was just not paying enough attention to the defensive strategy of the play, though it was clear his first instinct was to go home.

Chisholm Jr. has had a nightmare season, and he is due to be a free agent ahead of next season.

He came into the season vowing to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases for the Yankees, but he fell far short. 

Chisholm Jr. did steal 41 bases, but hit just 19 home runs and won’t be considered for a Gold Glove anytime soon, leading all second basemen in errors with nine. 

Wednesday’s game in the Bronx could be his final in pinstripes if they are not able to right the ship and play fundamentally sound baseball.

Ernie Clement was picked up as a free agent signing in March of 2023, after his release by the A’s earlier that month. I wasn’t thrilled with taking a castoff of the A’s (one who only played 6 games for one of the worst teams in baseball). It wasn’t like we didn’t already have a couple of dozen utility/middle infielders who likely wouldn’t be able to hit their weight.

But Ernie had good 2024 and 2025 seasons with the Jays, hitting .271/.301/.402 with 21 home runs. 101 RBI, 38 walks and 102 strikeouts. Ok, getting two walk a month isn’t great, but the rest of his batting line was pretty good, especially when you add near Gold Glove defense into the mix. In the two years he’s totaled 7.6 in bWAR

In 2024 he played mostly mostly third base and shortstop. In 2025 he split time between third and second (with a few games at short).

So we were expecting a pretty good 2026 season.

Meet the Mets

Anthony DiComo examined five questions that will define the Mets’ offseason.

Danny Abriano asked whether the Mets should explore trading catcher Francisco Alvarez this winter.

Will Sammon explored how the Rays revived Freddy Peralta after a disappointing tenure in New York.

Bo Bichette has yet to announce a decision on whether or not he will opt out of his contract, but his decision is coming and it will have ripple effects for the Mets and their offseason plan.

Tomm Kelson looked at five under-the-radar free agents the Mets should consider signing this offseason.

Around the National League East

The Braves manager’s pitch-perfect plan of saving Chris Sale for Game 3 worked like a charm, and his team followed that plan to a Game 2 victory and a tied series.

With the split secured in Los Angeles, the Braves will now turn to Sale, their ace, in Game 3.

The Braves are not worried about Ronald Acuña Jr.’s postseason slump, saying he “doesn’t have to be Superman.”

Around Major League Baseball

The relentless Rays gave Cam Schlittler and the Yankees fits in a four-run fourth inning as they prevailed 5-2 in Game 2 of the ALDS. The victory has Tampa Bay one win away from the ALCS.

While the Rays won the game, the Yankees beat themselves with four errors to put them on the brink of elimination.

While the bunt isn’t quite as popular as it used to be, it’s been a key to the Rays’ winning ways.

Timely hitting and terrific work from the bullpen has the White Sox one win away from the ALCS after a 4-3 win over the Guardians in Game 2 of the ALDS.

The White Sox head home for Game 3 with a chance for their first home playoff clincher in 120 years.

The AL Central champion Guardians, meanwhile, are staring down elimination after three runs, seven hits, and no answers for their struggling offense.

Cleveland starter Gavin Williams did make some history with an 11-strikeout performance in a losing effort.

Buster Olney ranked the home field advantage for each of the remaining playoff teams.

Fangraphs’ Jon Becker provided a postseason report card for Joe Espada and Chad Tracy, whose respective teams were bounced in the Wild Card round.

Will Leitch asked some burning questions facing the teams that are heading into Game 3 of the NLDS tonight.

The qualifying offer is going up to $23.1 million this year, but it comes with a massive CBA question.

The Dodgers are facing some more Division Series drama, and the Dodgers aren’t thinking three-peat now, as Ken Rosenthal explains in his commentary for The Athletic.

Katie Woo wondered whether the Dodgers should have turned to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who takes the ball in Game 3, sooner in their series against the Braves.

Tyler Kepner has been a star for the Brewers, and the big moment has seemingly always seemed to find Milwaukee’s leadoff hitter.

The Padres have reinstated pitcher Walker Buehler from the paternity list ahead of Game 3 of the NLDS.

Padres’ closer Mason Miller blamed a lack of command for his blown save in Game 2.

Cal Raleigh and Josh Naylor, both of whom had big years to guide the Mariners to the ALCS in 2025 and struggled mightily in 2026, underwent offseason surgeries and are expected to be ready for Opening Day, according to the Mariners.

Manny Ramirez is seeking a hitting coach job with an MLB club, according to his agent.

Zack Meisel recounted how disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong started an unlikely fraternity with MLB pitchers.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Steve Sypa reviewed the Florida/Dominican Republic Complex Teams for the Mets’ minor league systems.

This Date in Mets History

The Mets clinched their first ever National League pennant with a 7-4 victory over the Braves on this date in 1969.

The New York Yankees are facing elimination after dropping Game 2 of the ALDS to the Tampa Bay Rays.

And while drops are part of the story, they do not tell the complete tale of woe.

New York’s defense was not exactly fodder for Tom Emanski’s defensive drills video series on Monday night, as the Yankees made three errors in the first inning alone, were charged with four by the time the night ended, could have been given a fifth on a play that was initially ruled an error, and made a few other defensive miscues that were not charged as official errors by the scorekeeper due to scoring rules.

But on the brink of elimination, the bats are a bigger concern.

Let’s start with those errors, beginning in the bottom of the first inning. Tampa Bay leadoff hitter Yandy Díaz hit a chopper to third that ate up third baseman Ryan McMahon, gifting the Rays a leadoff runner:

Jonathan Aranda then singled off Cam Schlittler, giving Tampa Bay a pair of runners to start the inning.

Junior Caminero hit a grounder up the middle that George Lombard Jr. grabbed and flipped to Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second to force out Aranda, but Chisholm then made a twisting, off-balance throw to first that found the dugout fencing, bringing Díaz around to score:

Schlittler then retired Liam hicks looking for the second out of the inning, giving the Yankees a chance to limit the damage.

Or so they thought.

After a replay review, it was confirmed that when Hicks started his swing it clipped catcher Austin Wells’ mitt. Catcher’s interference was the ruling, giving the Yankees three errors in the first four Rays hitters:

Schlittler managed to get out of the inning with just the one run, but even that was something of a defensive adventure. After Hicks was awarded first base on the Wells interference, Schlittler induced a tailor-made grounder to Chisholm that could have ended the inning. But the second baseman’s throw pulled Lombard off the bag, and the Yankees were forced to settle for just the out at second after a tremendous recovery from the shortstop:

The fourth New York error came in the bottom of the fifth, with Tampa Bay leading 3-1. Aaron Boone had pulled Schlittler at this point, after this play that was initially ruled an error on Lombard, before it was changed to a fielder’s choice:

The error-turned-fielder’s choice brought Caminero home, giving Tampa Bay the 3-1 lead. Boone then pulled Schlittler, opting for lefty Brent Headrick out of the bullpen. Headrick struck out outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. for the second out, giving New York a chance to get out of the inning and limit the damage.

After Chandler Simpson stole second, Jonny DeLuca rolled a grounder to Lombard, who had a chance to finally end the inning.

But the throw was off the mark:

DeLuca then stole second, and both he and Simpson scored on a single to center off the bat of No. 8 hitter Richie Palacios to make it 5-1.

Final score: Rays 5, Yankees 2.

The errors and miscues are the easy story, and headlines are filled with phrases such as “error-filled,” “error-fueled meltdown,” and worse. But on a night where the Yankees were charged with four errors, and could have been charged with more, they only gave up five runs.

And this is a team coming off a win in the Wild Card Series over the Boston Red Sox that scored nine runs in back-to-back games, sweeping the Red Sox by a combined score of 18-2. Five runs was not a tough ask for this New York lineup.

Yet, it was a tough ask on Monday night.

Designated hitter Ben Rice did what he could, as he belted a pair of solo homers to account for both of New York’s runs Monday night, finishing the game having gone 2-for-3. But beyond Rice, the rest of the New York lineup combined to go 2-for-28 from the plate, with just a double off the bat of Wells in the second inning, and single form Cody Bellinger in the fourth, after Rice’s first home run of the night.

Making matters worse, the Yankees were a dismal 0-for-1 with runners in scoring position on Monday night. That came in the top of the fifth, when the combination of starter Freddy Peralta and reliever Cam Booser managed to load the bases ahead of Bellinger, who came to the plate with two outs in a 1-1 game. A hit in that spot could have changed the course of the night.

He gave it a ride to the deepest part of the track, but DeLuca tracked it down on the warning track to end the threat:

This is a New York lineup that was among the league leaders in several offensive categories, including Slugging Percentage (.409 — sixth in MLB) and home runs (223 — second in MLB), and while the lineup does miss Aaron Judge who remains sidelined due to a right calf strain, that same lineup put up big numbers against Boston just a few days ago. This is a lineup that on many nights is good enough to overcome the defensive breakdowns, and score more than five runs.

But not right now.

Instead the Yankees are facing elimination having scored just two runs, both off the bat of Rice, in two games in Tampa Bay. Back in Game 1, New York did not record a hit until the eighth inning, a double off the bat of Wells, and the lineup combined to finish 1-for-27 on the night.

Making the Yankees a combined 5-for-58 — a batting average of just .086 — over two games against the Rays.

The errors are the easy headlines after Monday night.

But the struggles at the plate are the bigger concern.

After plenty of discussion before Game 2, there is no doubt who will be on the mound for the Braves in Game 3 of the NLDs. The Braves plan worked as the series is now split 1-1, and they now have their two best starters fully rested to try and close out the series in Atlanta. It will be much easier said than done vs. the defending champs, but at least the Braves have better than expected chances to get the job done.

Braves News

Matt Olson was named the Hank Aaron Award finalist for the Braves.

The Braves remain confident that Ronald Acuna Jr. will make the difference everyone knows he is capable of as the series progresses.

MLB News

Rays went up 2-0 on Yankees as they won Game 2 in Tampa.

White Sox got the job done on the road and are now up 2-0 on the Guardians.