The Yankees will try to even the American League Division Series on Monday night, but Tropicana Field has already reminded them this will not feel like a usual road stop. Tampa Bay’s 1-0 Game 1 win brought a packed, towel-waving crowd into the building, snapped the Rays’ seven-game postseason skid and handed them a 1-0 series edge heading into a marquee pitching matchup.
Schlittler and Peralta take the mound
New York will send right-hander Cam Schlittler, a leading AL Cy Young Award candidate who has made a habit of handling noisy road parks. Schlittler went 8-2 with a 1.16 ERA in 17 away starts during the regular season, leading the Majors in road ERA, 129 strikeouts, a .153 opponents’ average, .206 opponents’ on-base percentage, .456 opponents’ OPS and a 0.74 WHIP.
His arsenal includes three fastballs and a curveball that became a major part of his attack in the Wild Card Series against Boston. He faced Tampa Bay three times in the regular season, finishing 1-1 with a 2.81 ERA. His best outing against the Rays came July 6 at the Trop, when he worked eight innings, permitted one run, struck out eight and issued no walks.
Schlittler’s final regular-season appearance against Tampa Bay was more of a postseason tune-up: three innings on Sept. 24 in New York, with two runs allowed but only one earned.
The Rays will counter with Freddy Peralta, their August acquisition from the Mets. Peralta was named the American League Pitcher of the Month for September and enters Game 2 on a six-start run of 5-0 with a 0.79 ERA. In four recent home starts, he has posted a 1.69 ERA and 0.75 WHIP.
Peralta said the move to Tampa Bay changed his season, adding that the club has made him feel valued and comfortable. The right-hander has regained his “Fastball Freddy” edge, and his heater and increasingly used changeup have played especially well in the controlled setting at the Trop.
- Yankees starter: Cam Schlittler, RHP — 8-2, 1.16 ERA in 17 road starts.
- Rays starter: Freddy Peralta, RHP — 5-0, 0.79 ERA across his previous six starts.
- Game time: Monday, 8 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field.
- Television and radio: TBS, truTV and HBO Max will carry the game; UniMas has Spanish-language television coverage, while TUDN Radio provides Spanish audio and ESPN Radio has national coverage.
Lineups could stay the course
The Yankees have used the same order twice against right-handed starters this postseason, including in Game 1 against Drew Rasmussen. Rasmussen quieted that group for eight innings, but New York is still expected to give the same nine another crack at Peralta.
Projected Yankees lineup
- 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 brings the hottest recent Yankees bat into the game. Since Sept. 10, including postseason play, he is batting .348 with 23 hits in 66 at-bats, seven homers and 15 RBIs over 18 games. He also hit seven home runs against Tampa Bay in 13 regular-season meetings.
Wells drove in two runs in New York’s Game 2 Wild Card win over Boston and has 17 RBIs over his last 25 games after totaling 19 through his first 100 contests. Lombard delivered four hits and an RBI in the Wild Card Series, while Bellinger drove in four runs, including a homer, in the Game 2 victory.
Wells said the Yankees were eager for the rematch after a Game 1 defined by strong pitching on both sides, adding that New York hopes to keep that standard on its own end while breaking through against Peralta.
Tampa Bay used its typical right-handed-pitching alignment in the opener, with Jonny DeLuca getting the center-field assignment over Cedric Mullins. The Rays could adjust, but the Game 1 group remains the likely starting point.
Projected Rays lineup
- Yandy Díaz, DH
- Jonathan Aranda, 1B
- Junior Caminero, 3B
- Liam Hicks, C
- Chandler Simpson, LF
- Victor Mesa Jr., RF
- Jonny DeLuca, CF
- Richie Palacios, 2B
- Taylor Walls, SS
Aranda supplied Tampa Bay’s only key hit in Game 1 and is a central left-handed piece in the club’s offense, even alongside the more heavily discussed Díaz and Caminero. He outperformed both of them in September. Mesa finished that month with a .355 average and 1.015 OPS, adding impact defense in the outfield, while Palacios closed the regular season with a .981 OPS and five homers in September.
The Rays did have several bats finish quietly. Mullins struggled down the stretch, Ben Williamson was limited after returning from a serious hamstring injury, and Ryan Vilade’s power faded in September. Díaz posted a .666 September OPS and Hicks came in at .668.
Relief picture favors rested staffs
Rasmussen’s eight-inning Game 1 effort gave Tampa Bay exactly what it needed. Closer Bryan Baker recorded the final three outs, leaving the Rays with a rested bullpen following an additional day off.
- Rays options: Griffin Jax, Ian Seymour and Nick Martinez are available after Rasmussen carried the opener. Tyler Wells, back from a forearm problem, joins Kevin Kelly and Cam Booser as key late-inning choices before Baker.
- Yankees options: David Bednar, Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick figure to handle major leverage spots. Will Warren has shifted to relief after appearing in 32 regular-season games, including 29 starts; he threw 1 2/3 innings in the Wild Card Series.
- Roster move: Ryan Weathers replaced Amed Rosario for this series after returning from a left flexor strain suffered in late August.
New York remains without Aaron Judge on its ALDS roster. Manager Aaron Boone called the decision a close one, but Judge has not yet resumed baserunning while recovering from a right calf strain. He has been doing outfield running, taking live at-bats and throwing. Clarke Schmidt has been ruled out for the rest of the postseason.
Tampa Bay has no new roster concerns for this round. Left-hander Shane McClanahan will not pitch in the series, and his broader status remains uncertain.
A Tropicana Field night with more at stake
The Rays’ Game 1 result improved their postseason record against the Yankees to 4-2. It also added another October chapter to a matchup that includes Tampa Bay’s 2020 ALDS series win over New York.
Fans are being urged to arrive early for Game 2. Parking areas open at 3 p.m., gates open at 5 p.m., and all parking must be paid in advance. Former Rays first baseman Carlos Peña, a member of the franchise’s 2008 worst-to-first club, will throw the ceremonial first pitch. U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Jermaine Robinson is scheduled to sing the national anthem.
