A view of the field from above home plate during Game 2 of the American League Division Series at Tropicana Field. Photo courtesy of Jeremy Fishman.
By Valentina Nezaj
The Tampa Bay Rays are heading to the American League Championship Series after sweeping the New York Yankees 3-0 in the American League Division Series.
The Rays took the first two games at Tropicana Field before traveling to New York and finishing the sweep with a 4-3 win in Game 3.
Tampa Bay set the tone in Game 1. Drew Rasmussen struck out 10 Yankees and held New York without a hit until the eighth inning. Jonathan Aranda scored the only run of the game with a solo home run, securing a 1-0 win. Bryan Baker closed out the game as Tampa Bay took an early 1-0 lead in the series.
The Rays continued their momentum in Game 2, winning 5-2 and taking a 2-0 series lead.
The Yankees struggled defensively, making four errors, three of them happening in the first inning. Tampa Bay took advantage of the mistakes made and scored the first run of the game in the first inning.
New York tied the game in the fourth inning when Ben Rice hit a home run off Freddy Peralta. Before giving up this run, Peralta retired the first nine batters of the game. Rice hit another home run later in the game, but the Yankees’ defensive performance did not let them compete.
The Rays responded with four runs in the fifth inning. Aranda hit a leadoff single to start a rally. Junior Caminero doubled to center field resulting in men on second and third in scoring position. Liam Hicks grounded out to first base, but Aranda was able to score. Then, Caminero scored on an RBI single from Chandler Simpson. After putting runners on base, Richie Palacios hit a two-run single to help Tampa Bay take a 5-1 lead. The Yankees added another run on Rice’s second home run, but the Rays held on for the 5-2 win.
For Rays fan and University of Tampa junior Don Ford, starting the series at Tropicana Field played a big role in Tampa Bay’s success.
“I think starting the series at the Trop was huge,” Ford said. “We’ve played really good ball at home all season. We’re 30 games above .500 at home this season, so being able to start there and get this 2-0 lead was absolutely massive.”
Ford, who has attended over 150 Rays games, said the atmosphere at Tropicana Field this series was unlike anything he had experienced before.
“The game on Saturday was the most electric it’s ever been,” he said. “There was a lot of chatter about the Yankees having a ‘home game’ because of all the northerners living down here but that wasn’t the case at all. Rays fans made it happen and I’m really proud of that.”
That connection to New York is also apparent at the University of Tampa, where many students come from the Northeast.
Sal Calicchio, a junior finance major and Yankees fan from New York, said being surrounded by other Yankees fans gives students an opportunity to connect with each other.
“It feels great. It opens up opportunities to meet new friends just from starting off with a shared interest like being a Yankees fan,” Calicchio said. “It allows for students to express their thoughts about the team and can lead to finding other things in common.”
With the Yankees heading back to New York being down 0-2, Jake Turer, junior business management major and Yankees fan, said he started losing hope.
“After Game 2, my confidence has definitely been staggering down,” Turer said. “However, in baseball it is truly never over until it’s over. I have seen this team win 3 games in a row numerous times this year.”
Turer said the Yankees needed to make adjustments in all areas of the game if they wanted to keep their season alive.
“The thing the Yankees have to improve the most is adjustments,” Turer said. “Whether that’s hitting, fielding, or pitching, it has seemed to be the same thing over and over. I want to see players being more competitive.”
The Yankees were unable to make those adjustments in Game 3. Ryan Vilade hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, and Victor Mesa Jr. hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the sixth to give Tampa Bay the lead.
The Yankees appeared to tie the game when Anthony Volpe hit what looked like a home run, but the play was overturned because of spectator interference and Volpe was placed at second. The Rays held on for the 4-3 win, with Baker closing out the game for his third save of the series.
With the win, Tampa Bay completed the sweep and advanced to the ALCS for the third time in franchise history. The Rays have made two previous World Series appearances, losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 and the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020.
Now, the Rays are one series away from another World Series appearance. Tampa Bay will face the Cleveland Guardians in the ALCS.