Heroes, zeros from Yankees’ season-ending Game 3 loss to Rays: The drought continues
October 8, 2026
Heroes, zeros and the inside pitch from the Yankees’ 4-3 loss to the Rays in Game 3 of the ALDS in the Bronx:
Hero
Victor Mesa Jr. gave the Rays the lead for good with a two-run homer with two outs in the sixth off lefty Max Fried.
Zero
The Yankees lineup produced just five runs in the series, so while Fried was far from his best Wednesday, he was given no margin for error, since almost every bat other than Ben Rice’s went silent.
Unsung Hero
The Rays bullpen gave up just one run in 5 ¹/₃ innings in relief of Nick Martinez, with five relievers mostly shutting down the Yankees.
Key stat
17: Years since the Yankees last won a World Series title.
Quote of the night
“Fire Boone.”
— The Stadium crowd chanted its displeasure about manager Aaron Boone after the final out of the game.
- Admin
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