Error. Error. Error. Error. Error. Tampa 5 NY 2

October 6, 2026 paperbacklou 2026 0
Ben Rice hits HR in 4th to tie game 1-1.

The Yankees set an all-time team record with 5 errors in a playoff game, and set another record with 3 errors in the 1st inning — leading to 3 unearned runs overall and a 5-2 loss to the Rays in Game 2 of the ALDS in Tampa.

One of the errors — by George Lombard Jr. on a Chandler Simpson grounder — was later changed to a ‘single’ so the error total was reduced to 4.

NY’s back is now to the wall, trailing 2-0 in the best-of-5 series.

Ben Rice hit 2 Homeruns for the Yankee offense — heroically tying the game in the 5th against Freddy Peralta who had been pitching lights out, and hitting a HR in the 8th to give NY a faint chance at a comeback. But that wasn’t the full Yankee offensive story:

  • Cody Bellinger came up with bases loaded and 2 outs in a 1-1 tie in the 5th and hit a ROCKET 400 feet to centerfield — but Tampa’s stadium is 405 feet there and it was caught. Everyone watching on TV thought the Yanks would surely have a 5-1 lead when he hit it.
  • And Spencer Jones hit a mile high drive that hit the roof and came down — and was  caught for an out in the 3rd inning.

Cam Schlittler pitched well, and had to throw a lot more pitches because of the errors behind him. He finally got touched up for a single and a double to start the 5th, and an ensuing groundout plated a run for a 2-1 Tampa lead. Schlittler got another groundout — to Chandler Simpson — for a run — and to further the issue George Lombard Jr. booted the ball causing Simpson to be safe at 1st instead of being the 2nd out.

Brent Headrick took over and got a strikeout and groundout to seemingly end the inning but George Lombard Jr. threw the ball wide of 1st for yet another error, the inning continued and next batter Richie Palacios singled in 2 runs on a 3-2 pitch for a 5-1 game.

“Obviously a really rough night to say the least for us,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards. “We got to get over it. We’ve responded all year to difficult times, and we’ve got to do it again. We’ve got to get ourselves up off the mat. Obviously tonite was not good enough for us and certainly not enough to beat that club. We’ve got to get over it — and playing for our lives Tuesday night (Boone later corrected it to Wednesday night).”

1. Three (3) Yankee Errors in the 1st Inning Give Tampa 1-0 Lead

Cam Schlittler got Yandy Diaz to hit an easy groundball to 3rd to start the bottom of the 1st — and Ryan McMahon booted it for an error.

Next batter Jonathan Aranda hit a hard groundball right to shortstop for a doubleplay — but there was nobody there — the Yankees were playing as much of a shift as you legally can — and shortstop George Lombard Jr. was by 2nd base — the ball went through for a single.

With runners on 1st and 2nd, Schlittler got another groundball to shortstop — this one field by Lombard who threw to Jazz at 2nd for the out — the only play NY could make. But Jazz thought otherwise — spinning and whipping the ball toward 1st — and past 1st baseman Luis Garcia Jr. for an error as the run scored from 3rd.

Schlittler then struck out Liam Hicks — but Austin Wells was called for catcher’s interference and Hicks was awarded 1st base.

Schlittler then got a groundout that Jazz again misplayed — throwing badly to Lombard for the force at 2nd — but Lombard bailing him out with a good play.

Schlittler got a final groundout to end the inning with the score only 1-0 Tampa. He got 5 outs and had to throw 19 pitches. It should have been a 10-pitch inning.

2. Peralta Tough — S Jones Hits the Roof

Because the Mets bombed so badly this year, they traded Freddy Peralta — the Ace they had acquired from Milwaukee — to Tampa at the trade deadline.

Peralta pitched a 1-2-3 shutout 1st, but in the top of the 2nd, Spencer Jones led off with a HIGH fly ball to center that hit t he roof and came down and was caught for an out.

Peralta got the next 2 outs and pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 3rd; he had a no hitter into the 4th against the lefty-laden Yankee lineup — his best start of the year.

3. Rice Gets to Peralta in 5th with Game-Tying HR

Ben Rice heroically got to Peralta leading off the top of the 4th with a HR to right for a 1-1 tie.

Next batter Cody Bellinger singled, but Peralta bore down and got pop out, groundout, pop out to end the 4th.

4. Bellinger Comes “This Close” to Grand Slam

Peralta got the first 2 outs of the 5th and was cruising — when Austin Wells worked the count to 3-1 and ripped a single to right. Ryan McMahon then fell behind 0-2 but worked a 7-pitch walk — knocking Peralta out of the game.

Cam Booser came in, and walked Ben Rice on 5 pitches.

Next up was Cody Bellinger — who had singled his last time up and has been red hot.

And Bellinger got all of an 0-2, 96-MPH fastball and rocketed it to center — a seeming Grand Slam off the bat — but Tampa’s stadium is 405 feet in centerfield and Jonny DeLuca caught it on the run 5 feet from the wall.

5. Tampa Gets 2 Off Schlittler in 5th; Lombard Error Makes It 5-1

Cam Schlittler meanwhile, was pitching around some trouble but was in command.

  • Cam allowed a leadoff double to Jonny DeLuca in the 2nd, but got consecutive groundouts, walked a batter to put runners on 1st and 2nd, then got a 3rd groundout to end the inning.
  • He allowed a leadoff single to Junior Caminero in the 3rd, and a 1-out single to Chandler Simpson — but got a lineout to Cody Bellinger and a groundout to end the inning.
  • Cam then pitched a 1-2-3 shutout 4th with 2 strikeouts, and was settling in.

But in the 5th, Jonathan Aranda led off with a single to right that a charging Spencer Jones might have caught — but stopped at the last second to field it instead of diving for it. Maybe Aaron Judge — known for his diving plays — gets that ball?

Junior Caminero then lashed a double to left for 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. Schlitter didn’t break — getting a groundout to score the run and make it 2-1, and then getting Chandler Simpson to groundout for the 2nd out — NOT — as George Lombard Jr. rushed the throw to 1st and everyone was safe.

Brent Headrick came in and struck out Victor Mesa Jr. for what should have been the 3rd out — but was only the 2nd.

Headrick then got DeLuca to hit a grounder to George Lombard Jr. for the final out — and Lombard threw this one wide of 1st for an error — putting runners on 1st and 3rd, extending the inning.

DeLuca then stole 2nd while Headrick was pitching to Richie Palacios — putting runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs. Headrick went 3-0 on Palacios, came back with 2 strikes, and continued to pour strikes in as Palacios fouled off 2 pitches. Finally on the 8th pitch Palacios singled to left for 2 runs and a 5-1 game.

6. Rice Gets to Seymour with HR in 8th to Make it 5-2

The Rays brought in lefty starter Ian Seymour — who had shut the Yanks down 2 weeks ago in a regular season start. And he shut the Yanks down for 3 innings — except for Ben Rice — who ripped a HR off Seymour in the 8th for a 5-2 game — giving the Yanks faint hope.

7. Yank Bullpen Holds Fort

The Yankee bullpen was exceptional — with John Schreiber, Ryan Weathers, Paul Blackburn, and David Bednar combining for 3 shutout innings — holding the fort.

8. Baker Wraps Up

But big 6’6 righty Bryan Baker came in for the 9th and got 3 consecutive groundouts for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401907986

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