By ROB MAADDI<\/p>\n
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) \u2014 Richie Palacios hit a two-run single in a four-run fifth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays took advantage of New York\u2019s sloppy defense, beating Cam Schlittler and the Yankees 5-2 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in their AL Division Series.<\/p>\n
The Rays are one victory from reaching the American League Championship Series. Game 3 in the best-of-five playoff is Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.<\/p>\n
Ben Rice hit a pair of homers for the Yankees, who are on the verge of elimination \u2014 which would extend their World Series drought to 17 seasons. They were dominated by Drew Rasmussen in the series opener and have scored just two runs in two games with three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge out of the lineup due to a calf injury.<\/p>\n
The small-ball Rays chased Schlittler, the likely AL Cy Young Award winner, in the fifth aided by New York\u2019s defensive miscues.<\/p>\n
Jonathan Aranda lined a single to start the inning and Junior Caminero ripped a double to right-center. With the infield drawn-in except second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., who was standing several feet further back on the dirt, Liam Hicks hit a bouncer to second that scored Aranda for a 2-1 lead. Chisholm\u2019s only play was at first because he wasn\u2019t all the way in like the rest of the infielders.<\/p>\n
Chandler Simpson then hit a grounder that shortstop George Lombard Jr. booted, scoring Caminero to make it 3-1. It was initially ruled a hit and then changed to an error and eventually a fielder\u2019s choice. Brent Headrick replaced Schlittler and struck out Victor Mesa Jr. After Simpson stole second, Jonny DeLuca reached on a grounder when Lombard\u2019s throw to first was wide for New York\u2019s fourth error.<\/p>\n
Palacios followed with a hard single to center that increased Tampa Bay\u2019s lead to 5-1.<\/p>\n
That was plenty of support for one of the best bullpens in the majors.<\/p>\n
Freddy Peralta allowed one run and three hits in 4 2\/3 innings, Cam Booser pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth and Ian Seymour gave up one run on Rice\u2019s solo shot in three innings. Bryan Baker finished with a perfect ninth for his second save in two games.<\/p>\n
Schlittler, who was 14-6 with a 1.95 ERA and dominated Boston in the opener of the wild-card round, lasted 4 1\/3 innings. He allowed four runs \u2014 two earned \u2014 and six hits. Schlittler only fanned two.<\/p>\n
Rice sent a 2-2 changeup into the right-field seats to tie it at 1 in the fourth, ending New York\u2019s scoreless drought in the ALDS. Rice hit 41 homers in the regular season. His drive awakened Yankees fans in the ballpark, who were drowned out by Rays fans until that point.<\/p>\n
But a sellout crowd of 40,226 was mostly full of cowbell-ringing Rays fans who reveled in New York\u2019s misery.<\/p>\n
Peralta retired the first two batters in the fifth before Austin Wells ripped a double and Ryan McMahon walked. Booser replaced Peralta and walked Rice to load the bases but the lefty escaped trouble when Cody Bellinger flied out to the warning track in center.<\/p>\n
The Yankees made three errors<\/a> in the first inning but Schlittler limited the Rays to one run. New York became the first team to commit three errors in the first inning of a postseason game since the Oakland Athletics in Game 1 of the 1975 AL Championship Series against Boston, according to Sportsnet Stats.<\/p>\n Off the catwalk<\/p>\n