The Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 4-3 on Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep of their Division Series and reach the ALCS for the first time since 2020.
Zoom in: Ryan Vilade dropped a solo homer just over the right field fence off Max Fried in the fourth inning of his postseason debut. Mesa added a tiebreaking two-run shot to right center in the sixth and backed slowly out of the box, staring into the Rays dugout.
By the numbers: This is the first sweep in a best-of-five or longer postseason series in franchise history, and only the second time the Yankees have been swept in a best-of-five, alongside the 1980 ALCS.
- Bryan Baker saved all three games. Nick Martinez recorded 11 outs and allowed two runs in the clincher.
The backstory: The Rays were widely picked to finish last in the American League East and instead won the division for the first time in five years. Their last series win came in the 2020 ALCS; they then lost the 2021 Division Series and were swept out of the Wild Card round in 2022 and 2023.
What they're saying: "We're loving it, man. We want to keep going," said Martinez, soaked in the visitors' clubhouse. "Like Cashy said, there's two more bites on the bone for us, and we know it."
What's next: Game 1 of the American League Championship Series is Monday at Tropicana Field, with the Rays hosting the winner of Guardians against White Sox, a series Chicago leads 2-1.
Why it matters: A team picked to finish last in its division eliminated the sport's most famous franchise in three games, which lets Tampa Bay reset its rotation and rest a bullpen that worked every night before the ALCS opens Monday.
