Box scores bury the story. You see a 5-2 final, but not who swung the game or why. These Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees match player stats fix that. Every batter, every pitcher, and the numbers that explain why Tampa Bay won the opener and what New York must change next.
Quick Answer: Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees Match Player Stats at a Glance
The Rays beat the Yankees 5-2 at home on October 5, 2026. Tampa Bay scored four runs in the fifth inning and never trailed. Ben Rice hit two home runs for New York, but nobody else supported him.
| Category | Rays | Yankees |
| Final score | 5 | 2 |
| Hits | 8 | 4 |
| Errors | 0 | 4 |
| Home runs | 0 | 2 |
| Strikeouts (by pitchers) | 7 | 4 |
| Winning pitcher | Cam Booser | — |
| Losing pitcher | — | Cam Schlittler |
| Save | Bryan Baker | — |
How the Game Unfolded Inning by Inning
Tampa Bay struck first in the opening inning. New York answered in the fourth with a Rice home run. Then the fifth inning decided everything.
| Inning | Rays | Yankees |
| 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2–3 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 6–7 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | — | 0 |
Rice homered again in the eighth, but the gap was too wide. Tampa Bay did not need to bat in the ninth as the home team.
Tampa Bay Rays Batting Stats
The Rays spread their offense around. Eight different hitters reached base, and no one carried the lineup alone. These Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees match player stats show a team that took advantage of every mistake.
| Player | Pos | AB | H | R | RBI | Notes |
| Junior Caminero | 3B | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Double |
| Jonathan Aranda | 1B | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Two hits |
| Richie Palacios | 2B | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | Team-high RBI |
| Chandler Simpson | LF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Scored, drove in |
| Jonny DeLuca | RF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Double |
| Yandy Díaz | DH | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Walk |
| Liam Hicks | C | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | RBI without a hit |
| Victor Mesa Jr. | RF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Walk |
| Taylor Walls | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Hicks drove in a run without a hit. That is a small detail, but it shows how Tampa Bay manufactured offense.
New York Yankees Batting Stats
One bat did almost all the damage for New York. The rest of the lineup went quiet. The Yankees finished with four hits and no answer after the fifth.
| Player | Pos | AB | H | R | RBI | Notes |
| Ben Rice | DH | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Two home runs, one walk |
| Austin Wells | C | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Double |
| Cody Bellinger | LF | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Single |
| Jazz Chisholm Jr. | 2B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Luis García Jr. | 1B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| George Lombard Jr. | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Spencer Jones | CF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Trent Grisham | CF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ryan McMahon | 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Walk |
| Paul Goldschmidt | 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Rays Pitching Stats: Who Held the Yankees Down?
Tampa Bay’s pitchers allowed just two runs, both on Rice home runs. Freddy Peralta set the tone, and Ian Seymour covered three clean-ish innings after him.
| Pitcher | Role | IP | H | ER | K | BB | Pitches |
| Freddy Peralta | Starter | 4.2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 66 |
| Cam Booser | Relief (W) | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| Ian Seymour | Relief | 3.0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 41 |
| Bryan Baker | Relief (SV) | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
Seymour struck out four batters. Baker closed the door with a perfect inning.
Yankees Pitching Stats: Where the Game Slipped Away
Cam Schlittler took the loss. He gave up four runs, but only two were earned, which points to New York’s defensive problems. The bullpen then kept the score close without finding a way back.
| Pitcher | Role | IP | H | R | ER | K | BB | Pitches |
| Cam Schlittler | Starter (L) | 4.1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 76 |
| Ryan Weathers | Relief | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 |
| David Bednar | Relief | 0.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| John Schreiber | Relief | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 |
| Paul Blackburn | Relief | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Brent Headrick | Relief | 0.2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 |
Three Players Who Decided the Game
Numbers tell you who played. These three tell you who mattered.
- Ben Rice (Yankees): He produced every run New York scored. Two home runs, two RBIs, two runs scored.
- Junior Caminero (Rays): He reached base twice, including a double, and set the table for the fifth-inning rally.
- Ian Seymour (Rays): Three innings, four strikeouts. He shut down the Yankees after the middle innings.
| Player | Team | Impact |
| Ben Rice | NYY | All of New York’s offense |
| Junior Caminero | TB | Two hits, one double, one run |
| Ian Seymour | TB | Four strikeouts in three innings |
Why the Rays Won: Team Numbers Compared
The Yankees hit the only home runs, yet they lost by three. Defense and timing explain the gap. These Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees match player stats make the pattern clear.
| Factor | Rays | Yankees | Edge |
| Errors | 0 | 4 | Rays |
| Hits | 8 | 4 | Rays |
| Pitcher strikeouts | 7 | 4 | Rays |
| Extra-base hits | 2 | 3 | Yankees |
| Total pitches thrown | 124 | 137 | Rays (more efficient) |
Four Yankees errors gave Tampa Bay extra outs and extra runs. That is the clearest reason the Rays pulled ahead.
How to Read Baseball Player Stats Without Confusion
New to box scores? Start with this short guide. Each term below appears in the tables above.
| Stat | What it means |
| AB | At-bats: official plate appearances, excluding walks |
| H | Hits |
| RBI | Runs batted in |
| IP | Innings pitched (4.2 means four and two-thirds) |
| ER | Earned runs, not caused by defensive errors |
| K | Strikeouts |
| BB | Walks |
For deeper definitions, MLB’s official stats glossary explains every term. For advanced numbers like exit velocity, check Statcast data at Baseball Savant. Official game results and box scores live at MLB.com.
What Comes Next: Series Schedule and Game 2 Outlook
The series moves to New York for Game 2. The official feed gives the Yankees a 60.1% chance to win, with Tampa Bay at 39.9%. Treat that as a pregame estimate, not a prediction.
| Game | Date and time (Pacific) | Location | Status |
| Game 1 | Oct 5, 5:00 PM | Tampa Bay | Rays won 5-2 |
| Game 2 | Oct 7, 5:00 PM | New York | Scheduled |
| Additional game | Oct 8, 5:00 PM | New York | If necessary |
| Additional game | Oct 10, 5:00 PM | Tampa Bay | If necessary |
Watch two things in Game 2. First, whether New York cleans up its defense. Second, whether Tampa Bay finds hits with runners in scoring position. The Rays went just 1-for-13 in those spots in Game 1.
Where to Track Live Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees Match Player Stats
Stats change fast during a series. Use these steps to stay current.
- Open the MLB Gameday page for live pitch-by-pitch updates.
- Check the official box score after the final out for corrected scoring decisions.
- Compare Statcast numbers for batted-ball quality.
- Refresh this page after each game for updated tables.
Scorers sometimes change hits and errors after review. Always confirm key numbers against the official box score.
Your Next Move
Now you know exactly how the Rays took the opener, which players mattered, and what to watch tonight. Bookmark this page and return after Game 2 to see how the Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees match player stats change. Share it with a friend who follows the series, and drop your pick for the next game in the comments.