Rays chase Cam Schlittler, seize on 4 Yankees errors to take 2-0 ALDS lead

Facing a 1-0 ALDS deficit against the Tampa Bay Rays, the New York Yankees hoped presumptive Cy Young Award winner Cam Schlittler would be the salve to lead them to a Game 2 win.He was not.The Yankees started Game 2 on Monday in Tampa with a disastrous first inning on defense that featured three errors. That set the tone for a mistake-filled night and an eventual 5-2 Rays victory that gave Tampa Bay a 2-0 series lead.With the win, the Rays move to one win away from victory in the best-of-five series and a place in the ALCS. Defense fails Schlittler, YankeesTo be fair to Schlittler, the bulk of Monday's blame doesn't lie with him. That honor goes to a defense that committed four errors and could have been credited with five. The result of those errors was three unearned runs that proved to be the difference in Tampa Bay's win. And the three-error first inning forced Schlittler to throw 19 pitches on a night when he didn't make it out of the fifth.An offense that managed two runs against Freddy Peralta and Tampa Bay's bullpen didn't help.An errant throw by Jazz Chisholm Jr. was one of four Yankees errors on the night.Julio Aguilar via Getty ImagesIt added up to more disappointment for a Yankees team that left the wild-card round on a high after storming through a 2-0 sweep of the rival Boston Red Sox by a collective score of 18-2.But a Rays team that won the AL East with the best record in the American League is a different beast than the Red Sox. And through two games of the ALDS, Tampa Bay has reaffirmed its status as the team to beat in the AL.Yankees miscues start with first Tampa Bay at-batFor the Yankees, Tampa Bay's first at-bat proved ominous. Schlittler induced what looked like a routine ground ball from Yandy Díaz to third base. But the ball bounced off third baseman Ryan McMahon's glove for an error, allowing Díaz to reach safely.Ryan McMahon with an egregious error at third base to start Game 2 in Tampa Bay pic.twitter.com/MyLDIHalB2— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) October 6, 2026 Two batters later, with runners on first and second, second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. botched his part of a would-be double play with an errant throw to first base that bounced off the Tampa Bay dugout.That allowed Díaz to score the first of Tampa Bay's three unearned runs without a play at the plate. The Rays score first in ALDS Game 2! pic.twitter.com/H44QiuPjq3— MLB (@MLB) October 6, 2026 A third error on a catcher's interference call on Austin Wells didn't impact the scoring column. But it meant more work for Schlittler as he labored through the first inning. The Yankees were fortunate to leave the frame with only a 1-0 deficit. But the mistakes were a sign of things to come. Rays break it open, chase Schlittler in mistake-filled fifth inningAfter a Ben Rice solo home run in the fourth, the game was tied 1-1 heading into the fifth, and Schlittler had settled down the previous inning with his first 1-2-3 frame of the night. It proved to be his only one.Jonathan Aranda led off the bottom of the fifth with a rope to right field for a single, and Junior Caminero put runners on second and third with a double. Aranda then scored on a groundout for a 2-1 Rays lead. Then New York's defense failed Schlittler again. Rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. booted a ground ball that should have resulted in an out. Instead, it allowed Caminero to score and Chandler Simpson to reach first safely. George Lombard Jr. tries to hurry the throw and everyone is safe. 3-1 Rays pic.twitter.com/H8n2bsXGGv— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) October 6, 2026 This was the could-be error that wasn't. Official scorers went back and forth on the play before settling on calling it a fielder's choice.Either way, it was the end of Schlittler's night. Manager Aaron Boone pulled his ace after 76 pitches with one out in the bottom of the fifth and the game threatening to get out of hand (which it did).An official Lombard error came two batters later. An errant throw to first with two outs allowed Jonny DeLuca to reach first safely and extend the inning.George Lombard Jr. is the fourth Yankee to make an error tonight pic.twitter.com/jW6tkbN0i9— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) October 6, 2026 After DeLuca stole second, Richie Palacios capitalized in the next at-bat, with a rocket to center field that scored Simpson and DeLuca.Keep 'em runnin' Richie#ForTampaBay | #Postseason pic.twitter.com/vR1TJNjhgG— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) October 6, 2026 Those two unearned runs extended Tampa Bay's lead to 5-1 and ultimately put the game out of the Yankees' reach.Ben Rice’s heroics not enoughBen Rice did his best for the Yankees on Monday, as he did throughout a breakout regular season and playoffs. He hit his second home run of the night and his fourth of the postseason in the eighth inning to chip into Tampa Bay's lead.Ben Rice two-homer game!His second multi-HR game of the #Postseason pic.twitter.com/KKcCKDnHN2— MLB (@MLB) October 6, 2026 Both of his home runs Monday were solo shots. And they were all the Yankees managed against four Tampa Bay pitchers who combined to limit New York to four hits and two walks. Peralta pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing 1 earned run on 3 hits and 1 walk with 3 strikeouts. All-Star closer Bryan Baker pitched a perfect ninth to ice the victory and earn his second save in two postseason games.Will Schlittler get another chance?As for Schlittler, he finished his night surrendering 4 runs — 2 of them earned — on 6 hits and 1 walk with 2 strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. This could be his last appearance of the season, after which he's expected to be handed the AL Cy Young hardware. Alternatively, the Yankees would hand him the ball for a Game 5 on Saturday in Tampa. But they need to win Games 3 and 4 to get there. The good news for New York is the series shifts to the Bronx for those contests, starting with Game 3 at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday.