Victor Mesa Jr. hit a two-run homer off Max Fried in the sixth inning to break a tie and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 4-3 amid fan interference on Wednesday night to claim a three-game sweep of the AL Division Series.
Ryan Villard also homered for the Rays, who advance to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2020 and host the Chicago White Sox or Cleveland Defenders in Monday’s opener.
“You always want to play on the biggest stage, right? You don’t get a bigger stage than playing the Yankees at Yankee Stadium,” Tampa Bay coach Kevin Cash said. “I don’t think we’re trying to prove anybody wrong. We’re just trying to keep doing what we’re already doing so well.”
Mesa’s homer gave the Rays a 4-2 lead, and Anthony Volpe appeared to hit a two-run ball to Griffin Jaquez with two outs in the second half when a fan reached over the left field wall and over the leaping Mesa’s glove to catch the ball.
Film review determined the ball did not go over the wall and was not caught by Mesa. Volpe was credited with an RBI double and George Lombard Jr. was allowed to score at first base. Jax recovered and struck out Spencer Jones.
“I might even be able to get that ball,” Mesa said in Spanish. “I think they could even call it a day.”
Baseball’s adoption of video technology was key to this inning.
Lombard arrived with a one-out walk when plate umpire Dan Bellino ruled a 3-1 pitch a strike on an ABS challenge. Austin Wells then loaded the bases with a full changeup, but an ABS challenge from Rays catcher Liam Hicks ruled a strikeout in the inside corner of the pitch, sending Volpe to the plate.
Much has changed from 1996, when umpires didn’t have replay to assist and Derek Jeter’s home run for the Yankees helped turn the tide in the ALCS opener despite young fan Jeffrey Meier getting over the right-field wall where Baltimore’s Tony Tarasco was about to catch the ball. MLB began using film for home run calls in 2008 and began allowing challenges to pitch/strike decisions this year.
Ian Seymour pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings, Kevin Kelly struck out pinch-hitter Giancarlo Stanton in the eighth, stranding a runner, and Bryan Baker pitched the ninth for his third save of the series.
After clinching the AL East title on Sept. 22, Tampa Bay celebrated its first World Series title for the second time in two weeks at the ballpark of the big-spending Yankees. New York has the third-highest payroll in MLB at $303 million, while the Rays rank 26th at $91 million.
The Yankees swept the best-of-five postseason games for the first time since the 1980 ALCS against Kansas City, ending 17 consecutive seasons without a World Series title. This tied their longest title drought since winning their first title in 1923, the gap between the 1978 and ’96 championships.
“It ended badly,” manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s a seedy clubhouse.”
Yankees captain Aaron Judge missed the postseason after suffering a calf strain on Sept. 16. The three-time AL MVP played just seven games after May 31 because of a broken rib and leg injury, an absence the team couldn’t overcome.
New York batted .130 in the series and ultimately fell 10-5.
After sweeping Boston in the wild-card series, New York has never led against the Rays and hasn’t advanced past a higher-seeded team in the postseason since 2020.
Jonathan Aranda gave the Rays the lead with an RBI single in the third, and Ben Rice tied the game with an RBI single in the bottom half, his eighth of the postseason.
Villard, 27, who is getting extensive major league playing time in his sixth major league organization this year, hit a 340-footer into the right field short porch in the fourth inning. The ball was just above the leaping Jones’ glove, not beyond any other major league pitch.
Volpe, who started at second base for Jazz Chisholm Jr., hit a 96.6-mph inside single off Martinez’s back with two outs in the fourth inning, and Seymour replaced him. Jones’ opposite field double landed outside Mesa, driving in Volpe.
Junior Caminero singled in the sixth inning, and Mesa sent a sweeper deep into the right-field seats to chase Fried.
It was the first time since August 2025 that he allowed a home run to a left-handed hitter.
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Tampa Bay had four days off and played just three games in 14 days before the ALCS began.
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