The Yankees faced a Tampa Bay Rays team at Tropicana Field on Saturday, October 3, and lost 1-0. In a very real sense, the Bombers could have stolen this game because they have struggled of late at “The Trop,” where the Rays have a huge advantage. They went 55-26 there this season, but in the playoffs, especially, good pitching needs good hitting. The Yankees continued their string of getting great starting pitching by getting a good start from Gerrit Cole. However, the Rays were just that much better.
One of the big questions the Yankees have coming into this series is roster composition. The biggest question, of course, is whether Aaron Judge will be on the roster. However, they face other big questions. Would Giancarlo Stanton be on the Division Series roster? He was on the roster for the Wild Card series. Also, would the team carry 16 hitters and only 10 pitchers, as it did in the Wild Card series?
Yankees Against Rays Game Summary October 3
The Yankees wanted to take home-field advantage from the Tampa Bay Rays by winning a game at Tropicana Field. They have recently struggled there, and the Rays have a huge home-field advantage. They have had a great record at home this season. Here is how the game played out.
In the third inning, Jonathan Aranda hit a solo home run to give the Rays a 1-0 lead. Drew Rasmussen was pitching for Tampa Bay. He is their ace, so the one-run lead seemed insurmountable as Rasumsson just mowed down the Yankee lineup. That was the only run of the game, a 1-0 loss for the Yankees.
Yankees Roster
Aaron Judge was not on the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Giancarlo Stanton and David Weathers made the roster, and Amed Rosario did not. Giancarlo Stanton did not get into a game in the Wild Card Series, and it will be interesting to see if he gets an at-bat in this series. He is probably healthier than Aaron Judge. The Yankees kept 11 pitchers, with the addition af Weathers, as opposed to 10. Weathers was the first person out of the bullpen today for the thanks.
Gerrit Cole Starts
Gerrit Cole was supposed to be the starting pitcher in game number three of the Wild Card series. We never got there, as the Yankees eliminated the Red Sox in just two games, at home, by a combined score of 18-2. The extra rest likely benefited him, as he is still coming back from Tommy John Surgery. In this game, he pitched five innings and only gave up one run, a long home run. He walked one batter and surrendered five hits.
Cam Schlittler Said It
Cam Schlittler said after he dominated the Boston Red Sox (in the playoffs for the second year in a row), ‘If the Yankees pitch like this, they will dominate through the World Series.’ While what Schlittler said could be perceived as a jinx on the team, there is little doubt that with starting pitchers Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler, Carlos Rodon, and Max Fried, the Yankees are capable of shutting down the offense of any opponent. Good pitching, it is said, beats good hitting. The Yankees are definitely capable of doing that.
This Game and the Next
The Yankees lost this game 1-0, and the player of the game was Tampa Bay starting pitcher Drew Rasummusen. He held the Yankees scoreless through eight innings. He walked just two batters and struck out 11 of the free-swinging Yankees. He gave up only one hit, his last batter. These two teams have a day off, then they face each other in game 2 on Monday, Oct. 5 at 8 pm.
Conclusion: The Value of Stealing Games
Tampa Bay has home-field advantage in this series by virtue of winning the American League East Division and winning the series with the Yankees 7-6. The Rays have a huge advantage at home and have played very well this season at home. They have a 55-26 record at home this season, and the Yankees have struggled at Tropicana Field this season (they did better last year when the Rays were forced to play at the Yankees’ minor league facility in Tampa after the roof at Tropicana Field was destroyed by Hurricane Milton.
