ST. PETERSBURG - The Yankees wasted no time putting themselves in a hole in Game 2 of the American League Division Series, and the Rays made them pay for every mistake.
New York opened the bottom of the first at Tropicana Field with a mess: three errors and another misplay, all before the inning was over, and that sequence helped hand the Rays an early unearned run against ace Cam Schlittler.
It started when Yandy Díaz chopped one to third baseman Ryan McMahon, who couldn’t hang on as the ball clanked off his glove. Jonathan Aranda followed with a single past a diving McMahon into left field, and then Junior Caminero sent a cutter up the middle that shortstop George Lombard Jr. handled cleanly enough to glove and flip to Jazz Chisholm Jr. for the force at second.
That should have been the end of it. Instead, Chisholm barehanded the throw and tried to complete the double play against Caminero, the major league leader with 26 GIDPs this season. His throw was off target, sailing wide of first baseman Luis García Jr. and into the Rays’ dugout railing, which let Díaz score from second.
The inning only got uglier for New York. Liam Hicks then appeared to strike out, but his check swing clipped the glove of Austin Wells, bringing catcher’s interference and handing the Rays’ catcher a free base - the third error of the inning.
That tied a postseason record for the most errors in a first inning. The last time it happened was in the first inning of Game 1 of the 1975 AL Championship Series, when the A’s made three errors against the Red Sox.
Chandler Simpson added one more headache for the Yankees when he rolled a ball to Chisholm, whose throw to Lombard at second pulled the rookie shortstop off the bag. Lombard still managed to reach back and touch it for the second out, but by then the damage was already done.
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Rays Just Sent Yankees A Clear Message With This Game 2 Move
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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 🡒]
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Chandler Simpson Is Giving Rays Fans A New Reason To Believe
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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 🡒]