Rays' Victor Mesa Jr. becomes hero in ALDS clincher
NEW YORK -- It’s 11:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday night at Yankees Stadium.The Tampa Bay Rays are pouring bubbly on each other after edging the New York Yankees, 4-3, and sweeping the American League Division...
NEW YORK -- It’s 11:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday night at Yankees Stadium. The Tampa Bay Rays are pouring bubbly on each other after edging the New York Yankees , 4-3, and sweeping the American League Division Series in three games.
Tampa Bay advanced to the AL Championship Series for the first time since 2021. One player enjoying the celebration was left fielder Victor Mesa Jr . His homer proved to be the difference in the game.
In the sixth inning, Yankees left-hander Max Fried was able to get two quick outs against Tampa Bay, but after Junior Caminero singled to center field, Mesa came to the plate, swung at the first pitch and clobbered it over the right center-field wall to give the Rays a two-run lead.
“(Fried) was throwing good pitches. I know the great pitcher that he is and he was hitting his spots during (my) first two ABs. ...They were throwing me a lot of breaking balls the whole series,” Mesa said to reporters. “So I knew it was a good moment to throw one. ...He threw that breaking ball that kind of stayed in the middle. ...I could get that contact and help the team to get ahead on the score.” Mesa knew the ball was out of the park.
Seconds after his follow thru, he looked directly into the dugout. Manager Kevin Cash yelled at Mesa to run to first base. “The last thing we need to do is ignite (the Yankees) over there,” Cash told reporters.
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“I get the emotions and the excitement. And that was probably the biggest home run he's ever hit in his life. So I totally appreciate how he wanted to enjoy it.
In today's game, there was a fine line of what's okay and what's not, and Victor was really excited for what he just did for his team.” In the bottom of the inning, Mesa found himself in the middle of a controversial play. With two outs, it appeared that Anthony Volpe hit a two-run homer off Rays right-hander Griffin Jax to tie the score at four.
Mesa claimed he had a chance to catch the ball, but the fans in left-field prevented him from doing so. Volpe’s homer was later overturned into an RBI double because of fan interference. Mesa didn’t have a problem with the final decision, which turned out to be huge.
“I feel that (the umpires) couldn't even call it out,” Mesa said. “I feel that it was a possibility that the ball hit my glove. I feel the ball carried a little bit by the wind.” Mesa has come a long way.
On Feb. 3 of this year, the Marlins designated him for assignment. In parts of 16 games with Miami in 2025, he slashed .188/.297/.344 in 38 plate appearances.
Three days after being designated, he was traded to the Rays. Now it looks like he has found a home. Mesa joined the major league club in May and has become a regular in the starting lineup.
His success against left-handers is a reason he is playing often. Including the postseason, Mesa is slashing .323/.380/.508 with three homers and seven RBI against southpaws. “I think he stays on the ball really well,” Cash said.
“We've seen him since he's come up here and the opportunities he's gotten against left-handed pitching. The ability to shoot the ball the other way on the fastball and pull the breaking ball. I think that was his third bat off Fried.
“I felt like it was up in the zone, a curve ball or sweeper and covered it. But Victor Mesa, Jr., is a very talented player on both sides of the ball. And when we got him up here and he found comfort in playing in that role, he really lengthened out our lineup.” A ll quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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