Yankee title drought drags on with ALDS loss to Tampa

SAN DIEGO —Yankees players, in control of their emotions, would not let themselves get too animated or comfortable throughout their abbreviated 60-game regular season. They made it abundantly clear those feelings of satisfaction, despite any success, would be pushed back and saved for the World Series.

The Yankees’ 2-1 ALDS Game 5 loss to the Rays on Friday night at Petco Park eliminated the club from postseason contention. For the 11th straight year, the celebrations they staved off for a World Series appearance would never be. The Yankees stood tight-lipped and sorrowful after Aroldis Chapman gave up a go-ahead home run to the same player, Mike Brosseau, he was headhunting last month.

Aaron Judge, one of the team’s ringleaders of the World-Series-or-bust mentality, entered Game 5 of the ALDS focused — and hungry. He called the Bombers’ 2019 season “a failure” after they fell to the Astros in Game 6 of the ALCS.

In an effort to flip the script, Judge mashed a solo home run — his third of the 2020 playoffs — off Rays right-hander Nick Anderson in the fourth inning Friday. The 340-foot bomb to right field broke the scoreless game, and it was the only Yankees run of the night. Besides Judge, the Bombers’ offense went 2-for-26 against the Rays pitching staff in Friday’s Game 5 loss.

Judge continued his playoff consistency. He went 1-for-3 with a walk Friday and bumped his postseason career home-run total to 11. He has 22 RBI in 34 playoff games since 2017.

Despite Judge’s solo shot and Gerrit Cole’s terrific 5.1 scoreless innings on just three days of rest, the Yankees 2020 season, just like last year, was once again a disappointment. To be sure, their 33-win season and subsequent postseason run amid the challenges of playing pandemic baseball was impressive. ut their lack of success against the Rays in 2020, a team that beat the Yankees in eight out of their 10 regular-season matchups, kept them from enjoying the fruits of their labor beyond an ALDS Game 5. If it was always World Series or bust, then this season was just another failure.

There’s always next year, right?

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