There's always next year...
Well that wasn't a very good end to the season. Jon Soranno was not ready for prime time, as he and Danny Medina combined to allow 7 runs in the first 4 innings putting the Rays in a hole they couldn't climb out of, despite the best efforts of Nate Clark who hit a pair of homers and drove in 4. Alex Beltre's last memory as a Ray will be giving up a 2-run bases-loaded single to Mario Aguilar, the series MVP that made it 7-2 and effectively ended the game. Jasson Dominguez was not available to play, and it's possible he's played his last game as a Ray as we have to make room for Omar Rodriguez and keep the payroll down, and Rodolfo Rivas took out the frustration of the team by charging Daniel Lynch after being hit following Clark's first homer. At least Christian Little went out a winner in his final Rays game. Just an ugly picture all around as the Rays will go without a championship in consecutive years for the first time since winning their first in 2023. A demonstration that the playoffs are largely random, something the run of 6 titles in 8 years made us believe we were immune to. This is farthest the Yankees have advanced since being swept the White Sox in the 2021 ALCS as they look for their first title since 2009 and end the longest drought in club history.
In the NLDS:
While the ALCS is set, the NLCS has yet to have a confirmed participant as Jeremy Bienick (acquired by the Cards from the Rays in the Victor de Jesus trade) pitched the game of his life with 8 shutout innings and 9 whiffs to keep St. Louis alive. And it's advantage Atlanta as RW Tucker's 2-run homer in the 7th gave the Braves a 5-4 win over the Dodgers with the chance to clinch at home tomorrow.