Rays eliminate Yankees as Mesa homer and replay ruling seal ALDS sweep

Tampa Bay ended the Yankees’ postseason with a 4-3 victory in New York on Wednesday, completing an American League Division Series sweep. Rookie Victor Mesa Jr. supplied the decisive two-run home run in the sixth inning. According to Field Level Media, the Rays advanced to the AL Championship Series for the third time in franchise history.

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Mesa struck after Max Fried retired the first two batters in the sixth. Junior Caminero kept the inning alive with a single, and Mesa drove Fried’s next pitch into the right-center-field seats. His first postseason homer broke a 2-2 tie. Earlier, Jonathan Aranda’s RBI single and Ryan Vilade’s solo homer had been answered by run-scoring hits from Ben Rice and Spencer Jones.

New York appeared to draw level in the bottom half when Anthony Volpe’s drive to left was initially called a two-run home run. The Associated Press reported that a spectator reached over the fence as Mesa attempted a leaping catch. George Lombard Jr. was on base, and the original ruling would have made the score 4-4 with two outs.

A video review instead awarded Volpe a double and allowed Lombard to score, leaving the Yankees one run behind. In its explanation, MLB’s Replay Center said the spectator had touched the ball above the playing field. Officials determined that, without that contact, the ball would neither have cleared the fence nor been caught. The decision removed the home run but did not turn the play into an out.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone accepted the ruling after watching the replay, according to AP. The game was briefly delayed again when debris was thrown onto the field, and security personnel and police escorted the spectator out of the stadium. Jones then struck out against Griffin Jax, ending New York’s sixth-inning chance with Volpe still on base.

Tampa Bay’s bullpen preserved the advantage. Field Level Media reported that Bryan Baker finished the ninth by striking out Trent Grisham with a runner stranded, recording his third save of the series. The Rays will face either the Chicago White Sox or Cleveland Guardians in the ALCS; New York’s season is over.