YouTube · Abrir publicación original ↗
Austin Wells He was the protagonist of the most discussed play of the Yankees' 1-0 loss against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the American League Divisional Series.
The catcher broke Drew Rasmussen's no-hits game with a double from right field line in the eighth inning, but seconds later he tried to turn the shot into a triple and ended up being eliminated in third base.
The play immediately closed the entry and eliminated New York's best offensive opportunity all night.
After the match, Wells explained what she was thinking and acknowledged that the decision ended up being wrong.
Austin Wells was trying to create a career
The Yankees reached that moment without a single hit and losing only 1-0.
With two outs in the eighth, Wells finally managed to connect Rasmussen with authority and sent the ball down the right field.
The hit guaranteed him a double and placed the draw of the tie in scoring position.
However, Wells decided to continue to third.
His intention, as he explained after the game, was to generate an even greater opportunity for New York to tie.
The receiver considered that, if he managed to reach third, any ball that remained alive on the ground could allow him to score.
The problem was that Tampa Bay perfectly executed the relay.
Wells saw the signal of Luis Rojas late
Another important detail was the signal of the coach of third baseman Luis Rojas.
As Wells approached Segunda, Rojas raised his hands, indicating that he had to stop.
But Wells explained that by that time he was already committed to trying to get to third.
The decision was already made.
Victor Mesa Jr. quickly regained the ball in the right field and made a strong shot towards Taylor Walls.
Walls completed the relief to Junior Caminero, who received the ball with enough time to withdraw Wells before he could touch the base.
Tampa's defense executed the play perfectly
The move must also be analyzed by recognizing the defensive work of the Rays.
Mesa Jr. correctly read the rebound in the corner of the right field and quickly pulled out the ball.
His shot reached Walls, who made a quick transfer and a precise shot to third.
The execution was practically perfect.
When Wells began to slide, Caminero already had the ball waiting.
MLB recorded the starting shot of Mesa Jr. at 91.7 miles per hour, a sample of how difficult it was to win that race once Tampa Bay correctly handled the relay.
The risk was too great with two outs
The situation of the party is what makes the decision such an important point.
There were two outs.
The Yankees lost only for one race.
Wells was safe at second base.
That meant a single from the next batter could tie the game.
Getting to Tercera offered a limited advantage because, with two outs, he still needed a hit or some mistake to score.
Being eliminated, on the other hand, meant immediately finishing the entry.
That's why Wells later acknowledged that stopping at Second would probably have been the smartest decision.
Wells admitted that the risk ended up being incorrect
After the match, the receiver did not try to hide from the play.
He explained that he was trying to generate something for an offensive that he had practically not produced throughout the game.
He also acknowledged that the result showed that the risk was not worth it.
His subsequent evaluation was clear: In that specific situation, the decision did not work.
That recognition is important because it shows that Wells understands the weight of the move and the need to adjust if he is back in a similar scenario.
Aaron Boone also questioned the decision
Aaron Boone didn't hide his opinion either.
The leader considered that Wells' decision was a mistake, especially due to the moment of the match and the number of outs.
Boone understood that the receiver was trying to be aggressive and create an opportunity, but the risk was too great for the situation.
With two outs and the tie race already in the second, the priority had to be to keep the entry alive.
The error weighed more because the Yankees only got a hit
Wells' play received so much attention because it was practically New York's only offensive opportunity all night.
Rasmussen dominated for eight innings, allowed a single hit, gave two walks and finished with 10 strikeouts.
The Yankees failed to consistently place runners or build a real threat before Wells's double.
That means that the eighth shot represented the best offensive moment in New York.
And the chance ended before another batter could get to the plate.
Not all defeat can be placed on Austin Wells
Still, it would be incorrect to hold Wells only.
The Yankees finished with a single hit in nine innings.
Gerrit Cole He allowed only one race and kept the game closed.
The bullpen also did not allow Tampa Bay to expand the lead.
The main problem was an offensive that never found answers against Rasmussen.
Wells made an expensive decision, but the rest of the lineup didn't manage to produce for almost the entire match either.
The Yankists analyze the decision
On The Yankists, Edwin Morel analyzed the move from the situational point of view.
The main question was simple: Why run to third when the tie race was already in scoring position?
From that perspective, the problem was not the aggressiveness itself.
The problem was taking a huge risk when the reward was relatively small.
With two outs, staying in second kept the entrance alive and forced Tampa Bay to get one more out.
Trying to get to Tercera delivered that last out without the need for the next batter to have a chance.
Aggressiveness needs situational intelligence
The Yankees want aggressive players.
They want runners capable of taking an extra base.
They want to generate pressure.
But aggressiveness has to be accompanied by reading the match.
A broker can attempt an additional basis when the benefit outweighs the risk.
In this case, with two outs and losing 1-0, the equation was different.
Wells had to protect the opportunity.
The catcher will have to leave the play behind
Now Austin Wells has to do the same thing as any player in October after a mistake:
turn the page
The postseason does not offer too much time to stay thinking about a bad decision.
The Yankees are already focused on Game 2 and Wells will continue to be an important part of the roster.
The receiver got the only hit from New York in the first match.
That is also part of the story.
The challenge now will be to learn from what happened and respond in the next opportunity.
Game 1 left a lesson for the whole team
The Wells move serves as an example of how small the margin of error can be during a divisional series.
Tampa Bay only scored a run.
The Yankees kept the game closed.
And yet a combination of lack of offense and a bad decision running the bases ended up being enough to lose.
In October, every out matters.
Every runner matters.
And every decision can change a series.
Wells already explained what he was trying to do.
Now the Yankees need to make sure that the lesson from Game 1 does not repeat itself.