Yankees Face Elimination in Game 3 Against Rays

The New York Yankees will attempt to stave off elimination on Wednesday as they host the Tampa Bay Rays for Game 3 of the American League Division Series (ALDS). Tampa Bay currently leads the best-of-five series 2-0, leaving the Yankees with no room for error as the series shifts to Yankee Stadium.

The Rays are slated to start veteran right-hander Nick Martinez, who has shouldered a significant workload this season, including a career-high 180 innings pitched during the regular season. This total surpassed his previous career bests and even his performance over four seasons in Japan.

Signs emerged late in the regular season that the Rays were managing Martinez's workload more closely. He exceeded 90 pitches only once after mid-August and threw fewer than 75 pitches in three of his final four regular-season starts. This suggests that the Rays might not extend him a long leash in a critical postseason game, especially if he encounters difficulties early on.

Tampa Bay's bullpen is expected to be well-rested. Following a first-round bye, the relievers benefited from starter Drew Rasmussen pitching eight innings in Game 1 and a combined effort that covered 7 ⅔ innings in Game 2. Only two traditional bullpen arms, Bryan Baker and Cam Booser, have pitched so far in the series. This depth of available arms could provide manager Kevin Cash with numerous options if Martinez struggles or his pitch count rises quickly.

The Yankees, having lost the first two games, now face a must-win situation to keep their season alive.