New York Yankees drop crucial ALDS Game 3 to Tampa Bay Rays

The New York Yankees are now facing elimination after dropping Game 3 of the ALDS to the Tampa Bay Rays by a score of 8-4.

The New York Yankees are in deep trouble after dropping Game 3 of the ALDS to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays won the game handily by a final score of 8-4.

Masahiro Tanaka was handed the loss on Wednesday night. He allowed five earned runs in 4+ innings on eight hits and two homers. Chad Green came on in relief in the fifth inning and allowed two more earned runs.

From that point, this game felt completely out of reach for the Yankees.

Giancarlo Stanton did his best, launching a home run in his fifth consecutive game, but the offensive onslaught by the Rays was simply too much.

Randy Arozarena was a menace on Yankees pitching once again. He went 3-for-4 and added his third home run of the series. That home run was the knockout punch that sent Tanaka to the dugout in the fifth inning. Ji-Man Choi, Joey Wendle, and Kevin Kiermaier also contributed with multi-hit games.

The Yankees now face elimination on Thursday night. Jordan Montgomery, who hasn’t pitched since Sept. 24, will get the start for the Bombers. It’s not an ideal situation for the Yankees, as Montgomery struggled in 2020. With a 5.11 ERA over 44.0 innings, Manager Aaron Boone will have a quick hook on his starting pitcher Thursday. Rookie Deivi Garcia is expected to be available after throwing only 27 pitches in Tuesday’s “bait and switch” start.

It all comes down to this. With inexperience on the mound, the Yankees offense will need to show up big to force a Game 5.