The first two games of the American League Division Series were an utter disaster for the Yankees, from nearly getting no-hit to idiotic baserunning decisions and heinous errors in the field. They very much deserve their 0-2 hole. They ran it back with the 2025 team, and perhaps it’s fitting that they would also stare down a possible ALDS sweep against the surprising rival that beat them out for the division title. Those Yanks managed to force a Game 4 thanks to some Aaron Judge heroics before meeting
their ultimate fate. Can’t get a shot at a you-never-know Game 5 without winning Game 3, right? Look, I’m not terribly optimistic, but let’s see if we can’t get some Masahiro Tanaka/Greg Bird-esque Game 3 magic, if not only to jab a finger in the Rays’ eye.
Today on the site, Josh will rue the Yankees’ self-inflicted mistakes that may have already ruined the season, Matt will run through the NLDS action from yesterday during toe ALDS offday, Nick will celebrate the 94th birthday of a somewhat-recently departed 1960s champion, and Dani will set us up for the do-or-die Game 3 tonight.
Today’s Matchup:
American League Division Series Game 3
New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
TV: TBS/HBO Max, TruTV, Univision
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Questions/Prompts:
1. Simple enough: Do the Yankees force a Game 4 tomorrow? And if yes, do you think they’ll bring the series back to the Trop for Game 5?
2. Which non-Ben Rice hitter do you feel best about at the moment?
