ST. PETERSBURG -- Two weeks ago, the Rays went wild in the visitors’ clubhouse at Yankee Stadium after clinching their first American League East championship in five years. That party started shortly after a win over the Yankees and carried late into the New York night.
Could they have another celebration in store in the Bronx?
It’s time for the American League Division Series to shift venues, going from the Rays’ home dome at Tropicana Field to Yankee Stadium for Game 3 on Wednesday night. But the Rays are still right where they want to be, holding a commanding 2-0 lead in the series with three chances to advance to the AL Championship Series.
“It's amazing, man. It's exactly the way we wanted to start the series,” Rays closer Bryan Baker said. “To be able to play in front of these fans in this building and take a 2-0 series lead was exactly what we wanted, so it feels really good right now.”
Maybe home-field advantage is what the Yankees need after coming up empty against Rays ace Drew Rasmussen in Game 1 and kicking the ball around the infield in a mistake-filled Game 2 defeat. Or maybe it’ll help to send left-hander Max Fried to the mound, knowing how tough he’s been on Tampa Bay throughout his career.
“We've got to get over it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after Game 2. “We've responded all year to difficult times, and we've got to do that again. We've got to get ourselves up off the mat.”
But the Rays feel pretty good about the man they’ll have on the mound, too, as veteran leader Nick Martinez will start the game with an incredibly well-rested bullpen fully available behind him.
Tampa Bay’s pitching staff held what looked like a red-hot New York lineup to only two runs in the first 18 innings of this series. If the Rays keep that up, they could enjoy another champagne-soaked night in the city that never sleeps.
“I think it's sweet either way. Doesn't matter the clubhouse,” Rays center fielder Jonny DeLuca said. “Obviously, going over there, having the chance to do that would be pretty special.”
When is the game and how can I watch it?
First pitch for Game 3 of the Yankees-Rays Division Series is set for 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. The game will be broadcast on TBS, truTV and HBO Max.
The ALDS will be available in Spanish on UniMas, while Univision’s TUDN Radio will provide Spanish-language audio coverage. ESPN Radio will provide live national coverage of all 2026 MLB Postseason games.
Who are the starting pitchers?
Yankees: Max Fried, LHP
Key stats: 5-1, 1.81 ERA in 7 career GS vs. Tampa Bay
Fried is coming off a sharp outing against the Red Sox in the decisive Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series, holding Boston to a run on three hits over six innings. Fried walked one and struck out six, his third postseason start since joining the Yankees.
This will be Fried’s third time facing the Rays this season. He last saw them on Sept. 22 in New York, taking the loss in a 6 2/3-inning effort as Tampa Bay clinched the AL East.
Fried also went up against the Rays on April 11 at Tropicana Field, taking a no-decision after permitting three runs over eight innings. For his career, Fried is 5-1 with a 1.81 ERA in seven starts vs. Tampa Bay, including 3-0 with a 0.84 ERA in three starts during the 2025 season.
Rays: Nick Martinez, RHP
Key stats: 7-3, 2.38 ERA in 16 road starts this season
After rolling out Rasmussen in Game 1 and Freddy Peralta in Game 2, Martinez was the logical choice for the Rays with the series moving to the Bronx. The veteran right-hander was a reliable presence on the mound for Tampa Bay all season, as he posted a 3.10 ERA over 180 innings while the club went 22-9 in his starts. He was at his best on the road, including two outings in the Bronx. The first-time All-Star held the Yankees to only three runs over 12 innings in their home ballpark.
What might the starting lineups look like?
Yankees: The Yankees have used the same lineup three times this postseason against right-handed pitchers, including twice in the ALDS. Boone said the one change he considered for Game 2 was Anthony Volpe over Ryan McMahon at third base, but he didn’t want to start Volpe -- a relative neophyte at the hot corner -- on the artificial turf of Tropicana Field.
1. Ben Rice, DH
2. Cody Bellinger, LF
3. Luis García Jr., 1B
4. Spencer Jones, RF
5. George Lombard Jr., SS
6. Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B
7. Trent Grisham, CF
8. Austin Wells, C
9. Ryan McMahon, 3B
Rays: It seems likely the Rays will change things up a bit against the Yankees’ left-handers, opting for the right-handed side of most platoons and leaving their lefty hitters available off the bench. Here’s one potential look for a more right-handed lineup.
1. Yandy Díaz, DH
2. Jonathan Aranda, 1B
3. Junior Caminero, 3B
4. Ryan Vilade, RF
5. Jonny DeLuca, CF
6. Chandler Simpson, LF
7. Ben Williamson, 2B
8. Nick Fortes, C
9. Taylor Walls, SS
How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Yankees: Ryan Weathers replaced infielder/outfielder Amed Rosario for this series, returning from a left flexor strain sustained in late August. David Bednar, Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick should all be leaned upon for high-leverage outs. Will Warren is now in the bullpen after appearing in 32 games (29 starts) during the regular season. Warren made one appearance in the Wild Card Series, tossing 1 2/3 innings.
Rays: The Rays really couldn’t be in much better shape thanks to their starting rotation. Rasmussen handled eight innings in Game 1, and the duo of Peralta and Ian Seymour combined to work 7 2/3 innings in Game 2. So, their traditional relievers have recorded seven of the 54 outs so far this series: six from Baker and a big one from lefty Cam Booser. They may not turn to Peralta or Seymour in Game 3, but they still have starter Griffin Jax available -- and the Yankees have yet to face setup men Tyler Wells and Kevin Kelly in this series.
Any injuries of note?
Yankees: Aaron Judge was left off the ALDS roster, though Boone said it was a “close” call. Judge has yet to run the bases as he recovers from a right calf strain, though he has been performing outfield running. He has also been taking numerous live at-bats while throwing. Clarke Schmidt has been ruled out for the remainder of the postseason.
Rays: Nothing new. Everyone who was expected to be available for this series is on the roster. The most notable injury situation to watch moving forward is that of left-hander Shane McClanahan, whose status is unclear except that he will not pitch in this series.
Who is hot and who is not?
Yankees: Rice has been the Yankees' most productive hitter in the postseason, and given how the ALDS has gone, it hasn't been particularly close. Rice is 7-for-15 (.467) in the playoffs, including his two-homer performance in ALDS Game 2. Rice has four homers and eight RBIs overall. Wells is 5-for-12 (.417) in the playoffs, including a couple of doubles in the ALDS. Jones is 2-for-15 (.133) with seven strikeouts in the playoffs.
Rays: Aranda doesn’t get as much love as the other members of the “Big Three,” but his left-handed bat is key. He hit better than either Caminero or Díaz in September, and he had the lone big hit of the night in Game 1 before picking up two more hits in Game 2. Richie Palacios finished strong, too, posting a .981 OPS with five homers in September before delivering the biggest hit of Game 2, and the Brooklyn native likes hitting against his hometown Yankees. Tampa Bay’s entire rotation surged into the postseason, highlighted by Rasmussen and Peralta, the September AL Pitcher of the Month.
The Rays’ outfield is off to a slow start in this series, offensively, but they all showed the impact they can have by putting the ball in play in Game 2. And their defense has been consistently excellent.
Anything else fans might want to know?
• The Yankees won four of the six games these clubs played in the Bronx during the regular season, splitting a pair of games in late May, then taking three of four the final week of the season. However, the Rays have already celebrated once at Yankee Stadium, as they clinched the AL East title with a 6-1 win in the second half of a doubleheader on Sept. 22.