The New York Yankees’ season ended with a whimper on Thursday nite when Max Fried gave up two home runs and one was removed from the board due to fan involvement.
The Yankees failed to advance a runner beyond second base after Anthony Volpe’s potential tying home run in the bottom of the sixth inning was ruled a double on video review. A 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 of the AL Division Series and a series sweep that prolonged the Yankees’ triumph by 17 years were completed when leadoff hitter Trent Grisham struck out to end the ninth.
Quick Fact
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| What Happened | The Yankees were swept by the Rays in the AL Division Series. |
| Series Result | Rays won the series 3 games to 0. |
| Yankees Batting | New York hit .130 during the series. |
| Runs Scored | The Yankees scored 5 runs. |
| Aaron Judge | Judge missed the postseason because of a calf injury. |
| Anthony Volpe | His apparent home run was changed to an RBI double after fan interference. |
| Aaron Boone | Boone has one year remaining on his contract. |
| Postseason Status | The Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs. |
Yankees Fall Short Again in Playoffs
Max Fried, the starter for Game 3, expressed “disappointment.” “It didn’t turn out the way we had hoped and didn’t live up to our expectations.”
New York never had a lead against the Rays after sweeping Boston in the Wild Card Series, and since 2020, they have not made it past a higher-seeded club in the postseason.
Cam Schlittler, the presumptive AL Cy Young winner, termed it a wonderful question and said, “I don’t really have an answer,” when asked why the previous two seasons ended without being able to overcome the hump.
Fried’s Final Pitch Ends Yankees’ Run
The Yankees were one-hit and shut out in the first game due to catcher Austin Wells’ baserunning error in the absence of injured slugger Aaron Judge. Four mistakes were made in Game 2 to put the team on the verge of elimination.
At least initially, the Yankees did not go quietly. The hitters replied each time Fried gave up a run in the third and fourth innings to level the game.
Fried remarked, “It’s just as simple as I threw a bad pitch.” “I left it up, and the guy smacked a two-run home run that put it out of reach.
Volpe’s Near Homer Turns Into Heartbreak
Thirty years later, a Jeffrey Maier-like incident returned to haunt the home side, even if it appeared that New York would win it back in a moment of atonement for Volpe.
The umpires on the field declared Volpe’s seeming home run to left field to be a home run. The fan interfered, according to the video review, and Volpe scored an RBI double on the play, but the run that did not end up being the difference.
He ended the danger by striking out swinging after singling and double in his first two plate appearances.
Yankees’ Bats Go Silent Without Judge
“They pitched well against us, and we had no answers for it,” Jones said.
Stanton was given the chance to bat after being out since April 24 due to strained calf muscles in both legs. Judge was excluded from the ALDS and AL Wild Card Series rosters because to his calf condition, which prevented him from having the same opportunity.
“It definitely hurts,” the judge said, declining to say if he thought he could have altered the result. “You want to be out there.”
