Tampa Bay Rays’ Richie Palacios celebrates after hitting a two-run single during the fifth inning in Game 2 of an American League Division Series baseball game against the New York Yankees Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
St. Petersburg, FL – Richie Palacios delivered a 2-out 2-RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning as the Rays plated four runs on their way to a 5-2 victory over the New York Yankees in front of 44,226 fans at Tropicana Field.
Cam Booser picks up the win for the Rays who hold a two games to none lead in the best of five American League Division Series. Bryan Baker retired the Yankees in order in the ninth to pick up his second save in as many games in the series.
With the win the Rays are one win away from advancing to the American League Championship Series. Being up two games to none rather than even at a game apiece is significant. “It’s pretty significant. We’re getting ready to go to a place that obviously they paly well there.” Kevin Cash said. “They have a tremendous fan base that really supports them. It’s going to be challenging, but, I mean we’ve set ourselves up in a good way by getting on a plane here up 2-0.”
Freddy Peralta started for Tampa Bay and worked 4.2-innings allowing just one earned run on three hits, one being a home run to Ben Rice. He struck out three and walked one.
Cam Schlitter was victimized by a porous Yankees defense that committed four errors. Schlitter worked 4.1-innings allowing four runs, two earned, on six hits while striking out just two and walking one.
Schittler’s first inning was a harbinger of what the game would become for himself and the Yankees. Yandy Diaz led off the game by grounding a ball to third baseman Ryan McMahon who was was unable to cleanly field the ball for the first error. Jonathan Aranda singled to move Diaz to second. Junior Caminero sent a ground ball to George Lombard Jr. whose throw to Jazz Chisholm Jr. retired Aranda at second but Chisholm’s relay throw to first was wild which allowed Diaz to score from second.
Although it did not lead to another run, the Yankees committed a third error in the inning, a catchers interference on Austin Wells. According to Katie Sharp @SharpStats17 on X.com, this was the first time the Yankees have committed three errors in a single inning in a postseason game.
The Yankees tied the game in the top of the fourth inning on a leadoff homer by Cody Bellinger. It was the first hit allowed by Rays starter Freddy Peralta.
New York threatened to break the game open in the top of the fifth inning piecing together a two-out rally and chasing Rays starter Freddy Peralta from the game. With two-out Austin Wells doubled and nine hitter Ryan McMahon walked. With the top of the Rays order due up for the third time against Freddy Peralta, Manager Kevin Cash elected to bring in lefty Cam Booser came in to face Ben Rice and issued a walk to load the base. Cody Bellinger sent a a long fly ball to the warning track that fell harmlessly into Jonny DeLuca‘s glove to end the threat.
After escaping the jam in the top of the inning the Rays came back to plate four runs in their half of the fifth to extend the lead to 5-1. They did it in prototypical pesky fashion as they have done so often over the season. Jonathan Aranda led off the inning with a single and moved to third on a Junior Caminero double. Liam Hicks sent a slow roller to second that scored Aranda and also moved Caminero to third. Chandler Simpson sent a slow roller to short that deflected off George Lombard Jr.’s glove allowing Caminero to score with the Rays second run. Yankees Manager Aaron Boone replaced Cam Schlitter with lefty Brent Headrick.
“You could feel the momentum shift after Ben’s (Rice) home run. But Cammy, Aranda both set the tone.” Kevin Cash said about the rally. “We probably had the right guys coming up. I know they didn’t knock the cover off the ball. But putting pressure on defense with Chandler and Hicksy. We value those guys a lot just from moving the baseball We talk about it a lot and they did it.”
Simpson stole second base and with two-out Jonny Deluca reached on the Yankees fourth error of the evening, a throwing error by Lombard Jr. that allowed Simpson to move up to third base. DeLuca stole second base and both Simpson and DeLuca scored on a single by Richie Palacios giving the Rays a 5-1 lead.
“That at-bat and hit was probably the biggest hit int he game for us, the two run single with two outs.” Cash said about Palacios key hit and added, “And he’s from New York. Very close to Yankee Stadium, I believe.”
Ian Seymour took over for Cam Booser in the top of the sixth. He worked three innings allowing one run on one hit, a solo homer to Ben Rice, while striking out four and walking none. Seymour was ready for whatever role the Rays asked of him. “Honestly, over the course of the season, being able to do so many different roles just sort of made the transition easier.” Seymour said. “I had a routine for pretty much any starting, relieving, the opener. I’ve done a little bit of everything.”
It was Ben Rice’s second homer of the game. Across 10 career postseason games Rice is slashing .333/.410/.848 (11-for-33) with a pair of doubles, five homers, 12 RBI, five walks, seven runs scored, and a 1.258 OPS.
Bryan Baker entered the game in the top of the ninth with the Rays leading 5-2. He retired Spencer Jones on a groundball to Jonathan Aranda, George Lombard Jr. on a groundout to Richie Palacios, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. on a groundball to Jonathan Aranda to earn his second save in as many chances in the ALDS.
Aaron Boone lamented the Yankees defense lapse. “Obviously, a really rough night to say the least for us.” Boone said. “We’ve got to get over it. We’ve responded all year to difficult times, and we’ve got to do that again. We’ve got to get ourselves up off the mat.”
Up Next:
After an off-day on Tuesday, the series shifts to the Bronx with Game 3 Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. EST. Nick Martinez (15-6, 3.10 ERA) will start for the Rays. Lefty Max Fried (5-5, 2.80 ERA) will start for the Yankees.
