Tampa Bay Rays Advance to ALCS After Sweeping New York Yankees

Mesa Sparks Rays Celebration

Victor Mesa Jr. did not even feel the ball leave his bat. The Tampa Bay Rays outfielder hit a long home run into the right field stands at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night. Instead of watching the ball, he turned to his dugout to watch his teammates celebrate.

The Rays beat the New York Yankees 4-3 to complete a three game sweep. With this win, Tampa Bay moves on to the AL Championship Series. They will play the winner of the series between the Cleveland Guardians and the Chicago White Sox.

The victory showed Tampa Bay's dominance over their rivals. During the three games, the Rays pitching staff allowed only five runs. Drew Rasmussen threw a near no hitter in Game 1, and Bryan Baker sealed the sweep with a strikeout in Game 3.

From Fringe Player to Postseason Star

Mesa is another example of the Rays finding talent in unexpected places. He signed with the Marlins in 2019 but struggled to make an impact in Miami. He played just 16 major league games before being traded to Tampa Bay in February for infielder Angel Brachi.

After starting the season in the minor leagues, Mesa was called up in late May. He quickly showed his confidence and hitting skills. He especially hit well against left handed pitchers, batting .333 against them in the regular season.

In Game 3, Mesa faced veteran left hander Max Fried. In the sixth inning, with the game tied 2-2, Fried threw a hanging breaking ball. Mesa swung hard and sent the ball into the stands. Yankees manager Aaron Boone had kept Fried in the game instead of calling for reliever Paul Blackburn.

Yankees Fight Back in Vain

The Yankees tried to rally. Anthony Volpe hit a ball toward the stands that a fan reached out to catch. After a review, the umpires called fan interference. Volpe was sent to second base, and the Yankees could not bring home the tying run.

After Baker struck out Trent Grisham to end the game, the Rays celebrated on the field. Yankees manager Aaron Boone admitted his team was beaten by a great opponent. Rays manager Kevin Cash praised his pitchers for their impressive execution against a tough New York lineup.