Rays Sweep Yankees as Judge Urges Front Office to Act

The Tampa Bay Rays swept the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series, ending the Yankees’ 2026 season with a 4-3 victory in Game 3 on Wednesday. After the loss, Yankees captain Aaron Judge urged the team’s front office to strengthen the roster and pursue a championship each year. Judge missed the postseason with a strained calf and watched the deciding game from the dugout. He said he had been thinking about missed opportunities during the season and the series, and that the defeat would stay with him. Judge said the front office should “go all in” and acquire players or personnel to address the team’s needs, while acknowledging that signing or trading for everyone was not realistic. The Yankees had won a Wild Card Series against Boston before losing three straight games to Tampa Bay. In the decisive game, New York’s Anthony Volpe appeared to tie the score with a sixth-inning home run, but a review ruled that a spectator had interfered with the ball. The play was changed to an RBI double, leaving the Yankees behind 4-3, the final score. New York’s offense struggled across the series. One report said the Yankees collected 12 hits, batted .