The Tampa Bay Rays couldn't maintain a 3-2 fifth inning lead, as the New York Yankees used a pair of solo home runs to take the lead, and Giancarlo Stanton's grand slam broke the game open as the Rays dropped a 9-3 decision in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.
New York jumped out to an early 1-0 lead as Aaron Hicks' sacrifice fly scored DJ LeMahieu in the first inning, but Tampa Bay evened the game right back up in the bottom of the inning, as Randy Arozarena hit a solo homer off Yankees starter Gerrit Cole.
Clint Frazier broke the tie in the third with a solo blast off Blake Snell in the third, but the Rays came back in the fourth as Arozarena singled off Cole in front of Ji-Man Choi, who blasted a two-run homer to center to give Tampa Bay a 3-2 advantage.
But Snell allowed solo home runs to Kyle Higashioka and Aaron Judge in the fifth to give the Yankees the lead for good, and John Curtiss gave up an RBI single in the ninth to Hicks, then Stanton hit a grand slam to blow the game wide open.
Shane McClanahan made his Major League debut getting the final out of the ninth.
Tampa Bay now trails one game to none in the best of five series.
Game 2 is Tuesday, with Tyler Glasnow taking on Deivi Garcia. First pitch is scheduled for 8:10, with coverage on WDAE beginning at 7:00 with The Inside Pitch.
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