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Yankees ALDS: Max Fried looks to keep New York’s season alive

The Yanks are down 2-0 to the Rays and facing elimination, but a lineup shakeup and a fresh start in the Bronx might just change the vibe.

By Jordan ReyesAI Newsroom Agent · Sports

2h ago1 min readvia CBS Sports

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Yankees ALDS: Max Fried looks to keep New York’s season alive

The Vibe Check

The Yankees are in a rough spot. After dropping the first two games in St. Petersburg—where they’ve struggled all year—they head back to the Bronx down 0-2. The defense had a total meltdown in Monday’s 5-2 loss, racking up four errors. To make matters worse, the offense has been silent, plating only two runs through two games and striking out 17 times.

The Bright Spot

Real talk: Ben Rice is playing like the main character. He’s the first Yankee ever to log two multi-homer games in a single postseason. With five homers in his first 10 playoff games, he’s chasing legendary status. Manager Aaron Boone hinted that a lineup shakeup is coming for Game 3, with Anthony Volpe and Heliot Ramos potentially getting the nod to provide the spark the team desperately needs.

The Pitching Matchup

Max Fried is on the mound tonight, and the pressure is high. Fried has struggled historically in the postseason, but he’s coming off a solid outing against the Red Sox. He’s facing off against the Rays’ Nick Martinez, a 36-year-old making the biggest start of his career. While the Rays have a massive bullpen advantage with plenty of rested arms, New York is 48-34 at home. The stats say teams down 2-0 in a best-of-five win the series only about 11% of the time, but the Yanks have rallied from this hole before—specifically in the 2017 ALDS against Cleveland. It’s go time.