The AL-best Tampa Bay Rays are known for putting pressure on the defense and the New York Yankees are not known for pristine glovework. Both of those traits were on full display in Game 2 of the ALDS on Monday (GameTracker). New York made three errors and four total defensive mistakes in the first five batters of the game to gift the Rays a 1-0 lead.
Truth be told, it is a minor miracle the Yankees and presumptive AL Cy Young winner Cam Schlittler escaped that first inning down just one run, and with Schlittler having thrown only 19 pitches. It could have been a much bigger inning for the Rays. Here's how the inning played out and how the Rays took advantage of New York's sloppiness.
This is the first time the Yankees have committed 3 errors in a single inning in a postseason game From a degree of difficulty perspective, this was the most egregious misplay. Yandy Díaz, Tampa's leadoff hitter, smashed a ground ball directly into the Tropicana Field turf that Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon booted. He didn't boot it, really.
It was a chest-high hop that McMahon let get by him. This ground ball has to be an out, plain and simple: Not an ideal start for Cam Schlittler and the Yankees pic.twitter.com/p3wGoJExgL The next batter, Jonathan Aranda, followed with a first-pitch ground ball single by a diving McMahon, who was shaded toward shortstop. That wasn't a defensive misplay.
It was just a well-placed grounder. It did put runners at first and second with no outs, though. Three pitches into the game, the pressure was on.
For the second straight year, Rays slugger Junior Caminero led the majors in ground ball double plays. His ground ball to shortstop in the first inning wasn't going to be a double play because George Lombard Jr. had to range too far to his left to field it, but Jazz Chisholm Jr. forced the throw anyway, and it sailed wide of first base. The errant throw allowed Díaz to trot home from third to score Tampa's first run.
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