NEW YORK -- Two weeks ago, Drew Rasmussen stepped away from the rowdy celebration raging in the visitors clubhouse at Yankee Stadium and made it clear that the Rays weren’t done. They had accomplished their regular-season goals, getting back to the postseason and winning their first American League East title in five years, but they weren’t done.
They had more in mind. Eleven more wins. Three more chances to pop champagne, pour out bottles of beer and smoke cigars together.
The Rays took another big step toward their ultimate goal on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, capping a sweep of the Yankees with a 4-3 victory in Game 3 of the AL Division Series.
It was the Rays’ first sweep in a best-of-five postseason series (or longer) in franchise history, and it was only the second time the Yankees have ever been swept in a best-of-five series, joining the 1980 ALCS team.
Three wins down, eight more to go.
Game 1 of the AL Championship Series is set for Monday at Tropicana Field, with the Rays hosting the winner of the Guardians-White Sox series that Chicago currently leads, 2-1.
None of this was expected of the Rays. They were widely picked to finish last in the AL East. Even as they spent much of the season atop the AL standings, observers singled out other contenders as the league’s “team to beat.” But they proved themselves throughout the 162-game marathon, and they handily beat the AL’s second-best team in a three-game sprint by playing their game.
They pitched well. They played clean defense. And their dynamic lineup showed it can score in a bunch of different ways.
As they did in the first two games at Tropicana Field, the Rays rode their starting pitchers most of the way in Game 3. Nick Martinez gave up two runs while recording 11 outs. Ian Seymour picked up four outs. Griffin Jax came out of the bullpen to handle two innings. Then Cam Booser, Kevin Kelly and Bryan Baker finished the job in the eighth and ninth.
Meanwhile, two key role players delivered the biggest hits of the night for Tampa Bay. In the fourth inning of his postseason debut, Ryan Vilade dropped a home run just over the right-field fence for a solo homer off Max Fried. In the sixth, Victor Mesa Jr. blasted a tiebreaking, two-run shot to right-center and slowly backed out of the batter’s box as he stared into the Rays’ dugout.
"I feel grateful to play a game like this," Mesa said. "I feel like that’s why I was born, and I grew up to play for. I’m very blessed to do this."
The Rays showed they can play small ball in Game 2, but they finished the job with the longball on Wednesday night. For all the focus on their bunts, infield hits and stolen bases, it was a reminder that the Rays went 48-2 during the regular season -- the best record in MLB history in such games -- when outhomering their opposition.
This was the Rays’ first postseason series win since the 2020 ALCS, when they beat the Astros in seven games. They didn’t advance in each of their past three trips to the playoffs, losing to the Red Sox in the 2021 ALDS before getting swept in AL Wild Card Series matchups against the Guardians (2022) and Rangers (‘23).
But history could be on Tampa Bay’s side now. The Rays have only advanced past the ALDS twice before, in 2008 and ‘20, and they went to the World Series both times. Now, they are four wins away from their third Fall Classic appearance -- and eight away from the first championship in franchise history.
"We deserve this because we want it more," Mesa said. "That’s the way that I see it. I’m very grateful to be part of this group."
It was only the second time the Rays have swept a multi-game postseason series, joining their 2-0 victory over the Blue Jays in the 2020 American League Wild Card Series.