BRONX, NY — Have you ever heard of or watched “The Bad News Bears” before? You saw that version of the Yankees Monday evening at Tropicana Field, a disaster losing 5-2 in Game 2 of the American League Division Series.
Perhaps the worst postseason game played in the illustrious lore of Yankees history.
At times it is difficult to explain this game of baseball, especially with the Yankees, a consistent part of the postseason that’s led them to nothing but a ton of failures since 2009. Last year in an ALDS stinkfest against the Blue Jays, losing three-of-four and two years ago, falling in the World Series to the Dodgers, with errors playing as the culprit.
In back-to-back years, opposing teams (Blue Jays, 2025 ALDS & Dodgers, 2024 WS) have ended the Yankees’ season in the Bronx and celebrated on the field of Yankee Stadium – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
But Game 2 of the ALDS for the Yankees is in the books, down 0-2 in the best-of-five series, with their backs now against the wall.
A memorable loss for the Yankees and as bad as catcher Austin Wells’ decision to become a hero that failed trying to stretch a double into a triple in Game 1 last Saturday. The Yankees became the “Bad News Bears” Monday night. Blame the hitting coach, sure, but four hits will not win a postseason game or series—five total across the first two games.
Or place the blame on manager Aaron Boone, a run it back lineup back on the field after that Game 1 loss and questions as to why Paul Goldschmidt and José Caballero were not in the lineup. Perhaps the analytic driven Yankees were going with certain statistics for the lineup and lefty-righty combinations.
But the blame is on the players, a disastrous four-error game that could have been six.
INSTANT CLASSIC#ForTampaBay | #Postseason pic.twitter.com/mkktl6akDn
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) October 6, 2026
Regardless, the Yankees, with their backs against the wall, return to the Bronx to try and save their season Wednesday night in another postseason elimination game at Yankee Stadium.
And to salvage their season, they can’t run it back as the “The Bad News Bears.” It’s already out there and well known that you can’t give the league-leading Rays an extra out. Yet it seems like the Yankees have given them 36 instead of 27. It’s been inexcusable baseball and losing recipes against a team who tied the Brewers for most home wins this season.
So, yes, it’s been accomplished before, with the Yankees’ backs being against the wall. In 2017, they rallied from an 0-2 deficit in the ALDS after losing the first two games at Cleveland against the Guardians. Then a different Yankees team, including a healthy Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge, who were not the Bears making costly errors.
Without a healthy Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge in October, the Yankees will need others to step up around Ben Rice if they want to extend their season further – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
And the Rays are not the Guardians of 2017. They are better and more fundamentally sounded. Tampa Bay executes on small ball and puts the ball in play consistently which is why you can’t make a mistake or it will cost you more times than not.
Prior to Wednesday’s crucial elimination game at Yankee Stadium for the pinstripes, I offer two points of contention though not excuses that caused the Yankees to be the Bears. The Yankees have not been a consistent team and hardly evolved into a group compiling an extensive winning streak that finished with 93 wins—the top AL Wild Card and runner up to the Rays in the AL East division.
And this ALDS schedule is as awkward as it gets with two days off in a best-of-five, but remember the TV Networks dictate days and game times. That though should not be an excuse for bad and inconsistent baseball. Then again back-to-back games give a better reason towards momentum than having an off day in between a horrible loss.
Manager Aaron Boone and the Yankees are running out of answers in this best of five ALDS, down 2-0 to the Rays, with the series now moving up the east coast to the Bronx – Image Credit: Alan Bautista/Latino Sports
“It’s gut-check time,” said Boone, “At times we’ve been very good, and people don’t acknowledge it. At times, we’ve been bad.”
That my friends summed up the feelings from the manager and mood that prevailed with this Yankees team from late March to the conclusion before this postseason meeting with the Rays. Every loss would go on to emphasize how good or bad they were.
With exception of another Ben Rice multi home run game, recording four HRs in four postseason games this October, the Yankees offense is completely putrid.
Benny Barrels 💪#RepBX pic.twitter.com/DRSjceIrDS
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 6, 2026
Overcoming costly errors is a tough road to climb when a Yankees team with home runs as an asset can’t use the long ball. They hardly play small ball and only do usually when Caballero is in the lineup or off the bench.
On the turf of The Trop, Jazz Chisholm Jr. made a wild throw on a Junior Caminero fielder’s choice that scored Tampa Bay’s first run off an error. That started the carnage in the first inning as little did they know there was more to come.
Said Chisholm: “It’s a tough loss, we beat ourselves today in a lot of ways.”
That crowd pop #ForTampaBay | #Postseason pic.twitter.com/yOkWGbxi0u
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) October 6, 2026
He added about throwing the ball with his back turned that he would welcome another opportunity in doing it.
Chisholm has had more than one costly miscue this season that led to runs and yes, the Yankees have more than once forgotten that much of baseball being played is all mental. Pressure building up in the postseason just adds to their frustration.
Yet the Rays play the game almost to perfection and are the better team that capitalizes on mistakes. They are not the Red Sox who the Yankees handled in the AL Wild Card Series last week in the Bronx, outscoring them 18-3 in their two-game sweep.
The last team to overcome a 2-0 deficit in a best of five series and ultimately win the series were the 2017 Yankees vs. the Cleveland then Indians in the ALDS – Image Credit: Ernesto Diaz/Latino Sports
These are the Rays. It’s highly improbable for the Yankees to win two more and take this to a decisive Game 5 back in St. Petersburg, Florida, with their ace Cam Schlittler getting the ball then.
Schlittler wasn’t at his best in Game 2, but don’t blame the eventual AL Cy Young Award winner for the costly blunders and Bad News Bears-Yankees.
It’s up to left-hander Max Fried (5-5, 2.80 ERA) now to save the Yankees’ season Wednesday evening. The Rays will start Cuban-American right-hander Nick Martinez (15-5, 3.10 ERA), a revived pitcher with a nasty changeup who will also get AL Cy Young Award votes and be making his first postseason start at Yankee Stadium.
So, it’s up to the Yankees to not be those Bears if they want to salvage their season.
Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and columnist at LatinoSports.com with coverage of MLB, boxing, and MLS – X:@Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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