For a moment, Yankee Stadium sounded like it had a tie game. Anthony Volpe’s drive towards left-centre was called a two-run home run, but a replay review changed it to an RBI double after a fan reached over the wall. The New York Yankees were still a run behind, and the Tampa Bay Rays held on for a 4–3 win on 7 October 2026, completing a 3–0 American League Division Series sweep.
The New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays Match Player Stats tell the story of a game decided by a handful of swings. Both teams finished with seven hits, but Tampa Bay hit two home runs and New York hit none. Victor Mesa Jr. broke the tie in the sixth, and Bryan Baker protected the one-run lead in a tense ninth inning.
ALDS Game 3 recap – The Yankees answered twice before Mesa struck
Tampa Bay opened the scoring in the third when Jonathan Aranda singled to bring home Jonny DeLuca. The Rays nearly added another run on the same play, but Yankees right fielder Spencer Jones started the relay that cut down Taylor Walls at home. Jones then walked in the bottom half and scored on Ben Rice’s single to level the game at 1–1.
Ryan Vilade restored Tampa Bay’s lead in the fourth with a two-out solo home run. New York answered again. Volpe reached on an infield single, and Jones doubled off reliever Ian Seymour to bring him home. After four innings, the score was 2–2.
The tie held until the sixth. With two outs, Junior Caminero singled to centre. Mesa followed with a drive over the right-centre-field wall, scoring Caminero and giving the Rays a 4–2 lead. It was the final pitch of the night for Yankees starter Max Fried.
Tampa Bay Rays batting stats – Two home runs made the difference
Mesa finished 1-for-4 with two RBIs, and Vilade went 1-for-2 with a home run in his postseason debut. Aranda drove in the fourth Tampa Bay run. All four runs came with two outs, which made the timing of those hits as important as the total.
The New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays Match Player Stats also show how evenly Tampa Bay spread its offence. Seven Rays had one hit each. Caminero and DeLuca both turned singles into runs, while Yandy Díaz and Walls also singled. Tampa Bay drew zero walks and struck out nine times, but it left just two runners on base.
| Rays batter | At-bats | Hits | Runs | RBIs | Home runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Mesa Jr. | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Ryan Vilade | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Jonathan Aranda | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Junior Caminero | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonny DeLuca | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Yandy Díaz | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taylor Walls | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
New York Yankees batting stats – Volpe and Lombard led the way
George Lombard Jr. went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run, while Volpe went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Jones reached base three times through a double and two walks. Rice and Luis García Jr. supplied the Yankees’ other hits.
New York’s closest chance to pull level came in the sixth. With Lombard on first and two outs, Volpe drove a pitch towards the left-centre-field wall. After the initial home-run call, umpires reviewed the play and ruled that a spectator had reached over the wall. They also determined that Mesa would have been unable to catch the ball without the interference.
The ruling gave Volpe a double and allowed Lombard to score, cutting the lead to 4–3. Volpe stayed at second as the tying run, but Griffin Jax struck out Jones to end the inning. New York finished 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners on base.
| Yankees batter | At-bats | Hits | Runs | RBIs | Walks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Lombard Jr. | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Anthony Volpe | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Spencer Jones | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Ben Rice | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Luis García Jr. | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Game 3 pitching stats – Fried’s seven strikeouts and Baker’s final out
Fried struck out seven without issuing a walk, but he allowed four earned runs in 5⅔ innings. Three of those runs came on Tampa Bay’s two home runs. Paul Blackburn and David Bednar followed with 3⅓ hitless innings, keeping the Yankees within a run.
Tampa Bay starter Nick Martinez allowed two runs over 3⅔ innings. Seymour took over in the fourth and earned the win after recording four outs. He gave up the double that scored Volpe, but the run went on Martinez’s line because Martinez had put Volpe on base. Jax then struck out four over two innings, and Kevin Kelly struck out pinch-hitter Giancarlo Stanton to end the eighth.
Baker walked Jones in the ninth, but Jazz Chisholm Jr. forced Jones out at second before stealing the base himself. That put the tying run in scoring position with two outs. Baker struck out Trent Grisham swinging to end the game and record his third save of the series.
| Pitcher | Team | Innings | Hits allowed | Earned runs | Strikeouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Martinez | Rays | 3⅔ | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| Ian Seymour | Rays | 1⅓ | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Griffin Jax | Rays | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Cam Booser | Rays | ⅔ | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kevin Kelly | Rays | ⅓ | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bryan Baker | Rays | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Max Fried | Yankees | 5⅔ | 7 | 4 | 7 |
| Paul Blackburn | Yankees | 1⅔ | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| David Bednar | Yankees | 1⅔ | 0 | 0 | 2 |
What the 3–0 ALDS sweep showed
The New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays Match Player Stats are easier to put in context alongside the first two games. Tampa Bay won the opener 1–0 and took Game 2 5–2 before finishing the sweep in the Bronx. New York scored just five runs across the series, and Baker closed out all three wins.
Game 3 still gave the Yankees several openings. They tied the score twice, kept Tampa Bay off the board after Mesa’s homer and brought the tying run to second in the ninth. That last chance made the finish feel as close as the score suggests.
Conclusion
The New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays Match Player Stats come down to what each team did with seven hits. Tampa Bay turned two of its hits into home runs, and Mesa’s two-run shot gave the bullpen enough room to finish the job. New York kept the game alive until its final at-bat, but Baker’s last strikeout sent the Rays to the ALCS.
Also read: Pittsburgh Steelers vs New York Jets Match Player Stats: as Geno Smith Sparks 17–0 Shutout
Frequently asked questions
Who won Yankees vs Rays Game 3?
The Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 4–3 at Yankee Stadium on 7 October 2026 to complete a 3–0 ALDS sweep.
Who hit the go-ahead home run for Tampa Bay?
Victor Mesa Jr. hit a two-run homer off Max Fried in the sixth inning. Junior Caminero scored ahead of him to make it 4–2.
Who led the Yankees in hits?
George Lombard Jr. and Anthony Volpe had two hits each. Volpe also drove in Lombard with his sixth-inning double.
Why did Anthony Volpe’s home run become a double?
Replay showed a fan reaching over the wall and interfering with the ball. Umpires awarded Volpe second base and allowed Lombard to score from first.
Who earned the win and save in Game 3?
Ian Seymour earned the win, Max Fried took the loss, and Bryan Baker picked up the save.
