The Rays got the kind of opening they could have only dreamed about Monday night, and they still needed to make the most of it.
Against Yankees ace Cam Schlittler in Game 2 of the AL Division Series, Tampa Bay watched New York hand them three errors in the first inning, tying a postseason record. That gift produced only one run. Then the Yankees answered with a Ben Rice homer in the fourth, and for a moment it looked like the Rays might have let a golden chance slip away.
Instead, they did what they’ve done all season: kept pressing, kept moving, and found a way to turn a small opening into a full-blown inning. A mix of three hits, a few balls on the ground, and the Rays’ usual brand of disruptive baserunning sparked a four-run fifth that carried them to a 5-2 win before a second straight Tropicana Field sellout crowd of 40,226.
Now Tampa Bay is one win from the American League pennant round, needing to take one of the next three games, with the next two in New York.
The fifth inning started with Jonathan Aranda’s second single of the night. He had come into the game just 1-for-8 against Schlittler, with six strikeouts, but this time he got something going.
Junior Caminero followed with a double, and Liam Hicks then bounced a 55.1 mph ball to second. With Aranda breaking on contact, Jazz Chisholm Jr. could only get the out at first.
Then Chandler Simpson did what he does best. He slapped a 64.8 mph ball to the left side, and his speed forced another mistake. George Lombard Jr. couldn’t make the play, Caminero kept moving on contact, and he raced home for a 3-1 lead.
That was enough to end Schlittler’s night. He was pulled after the inning and again heard it from the crowd, after what one veteran New York writer called “A-Rod-level booing” during pregame introductions.
The Rays weren’t done. With one out, Jonny DeLuca reached on the Yankees’ fourth error, an off-target throw by Lombard. Then Richie Palacios, a native New Yorker, delivered Tampa Bay’s first hit with a runner in scoring position, breaking an 0-for-10 start in those spots and stretching the lead to 5-1.
Freddy Peralta didn’t make it through the fifth, but he gave the Rays enough. Cam Booser walked Ben Rice, who had already homered, then got Cody Bellinger on a deep fly to center to leave the bases loaded.
From there, left-hander Ian Seymour took over and delivered the kind of outing Tampa Bay needed, working nine outs while allowing Rice’s eighth-inning homer. Bryan Baker handled the finish.
The numbers around the series now tilt heavily toward Tampa Bay. Teams that grab a 2-0 lead in best-of-five postseason series win 89.2% of the time, according to mlb.com, and teams that do it at home under the current 2-2-1 format win 91.7% of the time.
In Other News...
Rays Just Sent Yankees A Clear Message With This Game 2 Move
After opening the American League Division Series with a 1-0 win over the Yankees, the Rays are sticking with a formula built around run prevention and matchup-driven lineup choices. Jonathan Arandas solo homer was enough in Game 1, and the bigger story was the kind of pitching duel Tampa Bay was able to drag Gerrit Cole into alongside Drew Rasmussen, a reminder that this series may come down to slim margins.
For Game 2, Tampa Bays lineup sent a message of its own by going with DeLuca over Mullins against Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler. It is the sort of decision that reflects how the Rays operate at this time of year, favoring current form and specific history over reputation, even with Mullins having arrived as a notable offseason addition. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Cash Sent Rays Fans A Very Different October Message
Kevin Cashs latest October message to Rays fans was a familiar one, even if the setting made it feel a little louder: trust your people. In Game 1 of the ALDS, Cash let Drew Rasmussen keep dealing deep into the night, and the right-hander rewarded him with eight scoreless innings, 10 strikeouts and almost nothing to work with for the Yankees.
It was the kind of postseason decision that can define a series before it really starts, especially for a Rays team that has long been built around pitching judgment and nerve. After Rasmussen finished his job, Bryan Baker was asked to finish it off, and he did just that by striking out a key Yankees hitter to seal the 1-0 win and give Tampa Bay an early edge. [Read more 🡒]
Chandler Simpson Is Giving Rays Fans A New Reason To Believe
Chandler Simpson has quickly become one of the more intriguing reasons for optimism around the Rays, and not just because of what he does at the plate. The left fielder has taken a major step forward defensively, going from a minus-9 defensive runs saved season in 2025 to an 8 this year, a jump that has helped round out a profile that already stood out for its contact skills and speed. First-base coach Corey Dickerson has been part of that growth, and the improvement has given Tampa Bay a player who is affecting games in more than one phase.
Offensively, Simpson has kept forcing opposing clubs to adjust, and Rays manager Kevin Cash has pointed to his ability to adapt as defenses and pitch plans change around him. Simpson finished second in the American League batting average race and led the league in multi-hit games and singles, production that makes him a problem even when teams think they have the right approach. For a Rays club always looking for the next edge, Simpson is becoming the kind of everyday difference-maker that can shift the tone around the roster. [Read more 🡒]