The Yankees’ quest for a 28th World Series Championship will have to wait at least another year as its 2020 season has come to an end following a 2-1 loss in game five of the ALDS to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Starting pitcher Gerrit Cole pitched 5.1 innings allowing just one run on one hit. He struck out nine batters and walked two. He is the first Yankee pitcher to strike out eight batters or more in three straight postseason games.
Aaron Judge drove in the Yankees’ only run of the night, a home run to right field against Rays’ relief pitcher Nick Anderson.
The Rays tied the game in the game in the fifth inning when Austin Meadows hit a solo home run against Cole.
The Yankees offense only managed three hits against Tampa’s pitching all night. Tyler Glasnow pitched just 2.1 innings but didn’t allow a hit and only walked two batters. Anderson went 2.2 innings allowing just one run on two hits and two strikeouts. Pete Fairbanks and Diego Castillo combined for four innings of work, allowing just one hit, and seven strikeouts.
The deciding blow came in the bottom of the eighth inning. With the bases empty and one out, Mike Brosseau came up to bat against Aroldis Chapman. There is history between those two. Back on September 1, Chapman fired a fastball passed Brosseau’s head, clearing both benches. On the 10th pitch of the at-bat, Brosseau launched a 100 mph fastball deep to left to give the Rays a 2-1 lead.
\Castillo pitched an easy 1-2-3 ninth inning to seal the game and the series for the Rays.
(Photo: Gregory Bull / Associated Press)