Rays sweep Yankees after fan-interference call; Dodgers reach NLCS with win over Braves
The Tampa Bay Rays completed a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees on Wednesday night in New York in Game 3 of the American League Division Series after a fan-interference ruling, while the Los Angeles Dodgers eliminated the Atlanta Braves with a 4-1 victory to advance to the National League Championship Series.
Victor Mesa Jr.’s tiebreaking two-run homer off Max Fried in the sixth gave the Rays a 4-3 lead and, after a controversial play in left field, video review and an automated ball-strike challenge proved decisive in the inning; Ryan Vilade also homered for Tampa Bay, and the club will host either the Chicago White Sox or Cleveland Guardians in Monday’s ALCS opener. After Mesa’s homer, Anthony Volpe appeared to hit a two-run shot but a fan reached over the left-field wall and caught the ball above Mesa’s glove; a video review determined the ball would not have cleared the wall and Volpe was awarded an RBI double while George Lombard Jr was allowed to score from first. Lombard had reached on a one-out walk when a 3-1 pitch called a strike by home plate umpire Dan Bellino was ruled inside on an automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge, and an ABS challenge by Rays catcher Liam Hicks overturned a full-count changeup that had been ruled a walk for Austin Wells, bringing Volpe to the plate.
Bryan Baker recorded the ninth inning for his third save of the series after Ian Seymour worked one and a third scoreless innings and Kevin Kelly struck out pinch-hitter Giancarlo Stanton to strand a runner in the eighth. Tampa Bay reached the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2020 and celebrated on the Yankees’ field; the article notes the Yankees opened the season with MLB’s third-highest payroll at $303m while the Rays ranked 26th at $91m.
Andy Pages delivered a bases-loaded single in the seventh inning to produce two runs and give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 4-1 lead as they beat the Atlanta Braves to clinch the best-of-five series 3-1. Max Muncy’s solo homer in the ninth gave him 19 postseason home runs with the Dodgers, extending his franchise record, and the Dodgers, who won back-to-back games in Atlanta to take the series, will pursue becoming the first National League team to win three consecutive World Series titles.
Tyler Glasnow allowed one hit and walked five batters in four and two-thirds innings for the Dodgers, and Glasnow plus four relievers combined to permit just three hits; Tanner Scott pitched a perfect eighth and Edwin Díaz retired the side in order in the ninth for the save. Braves starter Tyler Mahle allowed two runs, one earned, in six and a third innings, and the series saw Atlanta issue 18 walks with none producing a run.
José Ramírez had two hits, two RBIs and scored twice as the Cleveland Guardians avoided a sweep with a 9-3 win over the Chicago White Sox in Game 3. Ramírez made a diving stop at third on Miguel Vargas’ bases-loaded smash in the sixth to preserve a 5-3 lead, and provided a two-run triple with two outs in the eighth; Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said: “Josy, that’s why he’s one of the best players in the league. He can hurt you with the bat, the legs and the glove. He showed all that today.”
Ramírez, 34, was sidelined for five weeks after breaking a bone in his left hand on 13 June and returned on 22 July, hitting .229 with two home runs and 20 RBIs in 53 games after the operation; he had gone 0 for 6 with two walks in the first two games of the ALDS before Wednesday’s performance. Ramírez walked and later scored on Jo Adell’s three-run triple in the third, doubled and stole third before scoring on Chase DeLauter’s grounder in the fifth, and said through a translator: “After that play, it was, OK, this is our game to win, and that’s what we were able to do.”
Garrett Mitchell tripled and scored the go-ahead run in the fifth and made a pivotal catch on Manny Machado’s drive in the eighth as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the San Diego Padres 3-1 to win their Division Series in four games. Mitchell also drove in Sal Frelick with Milwaukee’s first run, the Brewers combined on a three-hitter from four pitchers, and their defense made multiple critical plays while the lineup collected 10 hits.
Jackson Chourio capped his series by driving in Mitchell to become the Brewers’ career leader in postseason RBIs at 22 years old; Chourio has 17 RBIs, including six in this series, in 16 playoff games. Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr hit a 429ft homer, and Padres starter Walker Buehler allowed three hits and a run in his outing, but Milwaukee’s timely offense and defence closed out the series and the Brewers will meet the Dodgers in the NLCS.
The postseason now sets up an NLCS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers, while the Tampa Bay Rays will open the American League Championship Series at home on Monday against the winner of the White Sox-Guardians matchup.