The New York Yankees loaded the bases in the top of the fifth inning Monday night with the score still 2-1. Austin Wells had doubled. Ryan McMahon walked. Ben Rice drew a free pass to fill the bases and bring up one of the most experienced hitters in the lineup.
Cody Bellinger drove a fly ball deep to center field. It reached the warning track before settling into the outfielder’s glove. A few more feet and the Yankees would have led 5-2. Instead, the inning ended with nothing on the board, and the Rays responded with four runs in the bottom of the frame to blow the game open.
The Yankees lost 5-2. The Tampa Bay Rays now lead the ALDS 2-0 with the series shifting to Yankee Stadium for a Wednesday elimination game.
Bellinger Keeps It Simple
Bellinger did not dwell on what could have been. When asked about the loss and the road ahead, his answer was measured.
“Take it on the chin,” Bellinger said. “Go out and win a game on Wednesday.”
He acknowledged that the Yankees had opportunities throughout the game but were unable to convert them. The bases-loaded chance was the clearest example, but it was not the only one. The lineup managed just four hits on the night, with Rice’s two solo homers providing the only runs.
“One game at a time,” Bellinger said. “Can’t look too far ahead.”
The Swing That Almost Changed Everything
The fifth inning was the moment the series could have tilted. Cam Booser had just replaced Peralta with the bases loaded and two outs. The Rays were clinging to a one-run lead. Bellinger got a pitch he could drive and sent it toward the deepest part of the park.
The ball died on the track. Three runners stayed where they were.
Four runs in the bottom of the fifth, aided by two errors and a defensive breakdown, turned a competitive game into a deficit the offense could not erase.
Final Word for the Yankees
No looking back. No agonizing over what a grand slam would have meant. Just show up Wednesday and play a clean game.
The margin between a 5-2 loss and a 5-2 lead came down to a few feet of carry on a fly ball in the fifth. That is how thin the line is in October.
The Yankees need to be on the right side of it at least three more times.
Yankees’ Cody Bellinger Sends Clear Message Ahead of ALDS Elimination Game