Yankees Eliminated From Playoffs After Game 3 Loss to Rays

The New York Yankees have been eliminated after a 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 of the ALDS.

The Yankees had Max Fried take the mound with their season on the line, and he was strong through the first two innings. In the third, Jonny DeLuca and Taylor Wells reached on infield singles. Jonathan Aranda then singled, scoring DeLuca, but Wells was thrown out at home.

An inning later, Fried gave up a solo home run to right by Ryan Vilade. He pitched a clean fifth inning before things went wrong in the sixth. Fried got two quick outs, but then allowed Junior Caminero to single, bringing Victor Mesa Jr. to the plate. Mesa belted a two-run home run to right center.

That knocked Fried out of the game, finishing his day by going 5.2 innings, allowing seven hits and four earned runs while striking out seven. The bullpen gave New York scoreless innings, but the offense didn't do enough.

The Yankees got on the board in the third as Spencer Jones walked, setting up Ben Rice for an RBI single. New York scored again in the fourth when Anthony Volpe reached on an infield single, knocking Rays starter Nick Martinez out of the game.

Jones then doubled off Ian Seymour, scoring Volpe to tie the game at two. After Mesa's homer off Friend, New York trailed 4-2 heading into the bottom of the 6th.

Griffin Jax took over on the mound for Tampa Bay, but Volpe wasn't fazed. With George Lombard Jr. on base on a walk, Volpe hit a game-tying two-run home run to left field, but a replay review overturned the call.

The replay showed fan interference on the home run, which changed the call to a double. Instead of tying the game, Volpe hit an RBI double, cutting the lead to 4-3. Jones struck out in the next at-bat, ending the inning.

That was all the Yankees' offense could muster in a win-or-go-home game. In the final three innings, they went hitless. Although the call was overturned and went against Volpe and New York, the Yankees had three more innings to score a run but couldn't spark a rally.

New York is now eliminated, and their drought of winning a World Series title continues. The franchise with 27 titles last won the World Series in 2009.

The Yankees will need to reset this offseason and improve their roster after being swept by their division rival, the Rays, in the ALDS.