The Rays arrive in the Bronx with a 2-0 American League Division Series lead, three chances to finish the job and a familiar memory waiting in the visitors’ clubhouse. Tampa Bay already wrapped up the AL East at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 22, and now it can book an AL Championship Series berth there with another win Wednesday night.
Game 3 is set for 8 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium, with TBS, truTV and HBO Max carrying the broadcast. UniMas will air the Spanish-language telecast, while TUDN Radio has Spanish audio coverage and ESPN Radio will carry the national call.
Quick facts
- The Rays lead the best-of-five ALDS, 2-0.
- New York scored two runs over the opening 18 innings of the series.
- Max Fried starts for the Yankees; Nick Martinez gets the ball for Tampa Bay.
- Tampa Bay clinched the AL East with a 6-1 victory at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 22.
- The Yankees went 4-2 against the Rays in the Bronx during the regular season.
Tampa Bay closer Bryan Baker said the club got precisely the opening it wanted after winning the first two games at Tropicana Field. The Rays now take that advantage north with a bullpen that has barely been asked to cover meaningful innings.
Drew Rasmussen worked eight innings in Game 1. Freddy Peralta and Ian Seymour combined for 7 2/3 frames in Game 2, leaving the Rays’ usual relief corps with only seven outs recorded in the series: six by Baker and one important out from left-hander Cam Booser.
That sets up Martinez, the veteran right-hander who made his first All-Star team this season. He finished the regular season with a 3.10 ERA across 180 innings, and Tampa Bay went 22-9 when he started.
Martinez was especially dependable away from home, going 7-3 with a 2.38 ERA in 16 road starts. He faced the Yankees twice in New York and allowed three runs in 12 innings.
Griffin Jax also remains available for Tampa Bay, while setup men Tyler Wells and Kevin Kelly have not yet appeared in the series. The Rays may avoid using Peralta or Seymour in Game 3, but their pitching depth is in considerably better shape than a club usually finds itself this deep into October.
Fried gets the home assignment
The Yankees turn to Fried, who delivered six strong innings against Boston in the Wild Card Series clincher. He surrendered one run on three hits, issued one walk and struck out six.
Fried has built a strong career record against Tampa Bay, going 5-1 with a 1.81 ERA in seven starts. In 2025, he was 3-0 with a 0.84 ERA in three outings against the Rays.
His two meetings with Tampa Bay this season went differently. Fried allowed three runs over eight innings at Tropicana Field on April 11 without getting a decision, then took the loss on Sept. 22 after pitching 6 2/3 innings as the Rays celebrated their division title in New York.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said his club has handled difficult stretches throughout the season and must do it again after a sloppy Game 2. Home field, and Fried’s history against the Rays, offer New York a chance to reset.
Lineup questions and available arms
New York has used the same order three times against right-handed starters this postseason, including both Division Series games. Boone considered using Anthony Volpe at third base in Game 2 but did not want to place the inexperienced infielder at the hot corner on Tropicana Field’s artificial surface.
| Yankees projected lineup | Position |
|---|---|
| Ben Rice | DH |
| Cody Bellinger | LF |
| Luis García Jr. | 1B |
| Spencer Jones | RF |
| George Lombard Jr. | SS |
| Jazz Chisholm Jr. | 2B |
| Trent Grisham | CF |
| Austin Wells | C |
| Ryan McMahon | 3B |
Rice has carried the Yankees’ October offense, going 7-for-15 with four homers and eight RBIs. His Game 2 included two home runs. Wells is 5-for-12 with two doubles, while Jones is 2-for-15 with seven strikeouts.
New York added Ryan Weathers for the series in place of Amed Rosario, with Weathers returning from a left flexor strain suffered in late August. David Bednar, Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick are positioned for key relief work, and Will Warren is available out of the bullpen after making 29 starts among his 32 regular-season appearances.
Aaron Judge did not make the ALDS roster as he continues to recover from a right calf strain. Boone called the decision close; Judge has done outfield running, taken live at-bats and thrown, but has not resumed running the bases. Clarke Schmidt is unavailable for the rest of the postseason.
The Rays could stack more right-handed bats against Fried and save left-handed options for later innings. Jonathan Aranda remains a central figure despite batting left-handed, having out-hit both Junior Caminero and Yandy Díaz during September before collecting the key hit in Game 1 and two more in Game 2.
| Rays projected lineup | Position |
|---|---|
| Yandy Díaz | DH |
| Jonathan Aranda | 1B |
| Junior Caminero | 3B |
| Ryan Vilade | RF |
| Jonny DeLuca | CF |
| Chandler Simpson | LF |
| Ben Williamson | 2B |
| Nick Fortes | C |
| Taylor Walls | SS |
Richie Palacios also finished September on a tear, posting a .981 OPS with five home runs before supplying the biggest hit in Game 2. The Brooklyn native gets another October game against his hometown club.
Tampa Bay’s outfield has not produced much at the plate through two games, but its ability to put balls in play showed up in Game 2, and the defense has been sharp throughout the series. The Rays have no new roster concerns, though left-hander Shane McClanahan will not pitch in this round and his longer-term postseason availability remains uncertain.
For DeLuca, the location of a possible clinching celebration is secondary to the opportunity. He said any clubhouse would do, but completing the sweep in New York would carry its own edge.
