Mike Brosseau's HR off Aroldis Chapman Lifts Rays Past Yankees in ALDS Game 5

It took the full five games, but the No. 1 seed in the American League moved past the division series.

The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the New York Yankees 2-1 in Friday's showdown at Petco Park in San Diego thanks to a solo homer by Mike Brosseau off Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the eighth inning. They will face the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series.

Brosseau and the bullpen spearheaded the latest effort, helping the Rays complete their yearlong dominance of the Yankees with a series win in the teams' first playoff meeting. Tampa Bay won eight of 10 regular-season matchups between the AL East rivals.

As for New York, an impressive performance by starter Gerrit Cole was not enough after it forced Game 5 with a victory Thursday.

Notable Player Stats

• Mike Brosseau, 1B, TB: 2-for-2, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI
• Tyler Glasnow, SP, TB: 2.1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 K, 2 BB
• Gerrit Cole, SP, NYY: 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 9 K, 2 BB
• Aaron Judge, RF, NYY: 1-for-3, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI

Aroldis Chapman Spoils Cole's Gem Against Familiar Foe

Games like Friday's are why the Yankees signed Cole to a massive nine-year, $324 million deal this offseason.

No Major League Baseball team has more championships than New York's 27, but it also hasn't won a title since 2009. That is an eternity for this franchise, and Cole is just the type of hard-throwing, workhorse starter who can carry a team throughout a postseason to a championship.

However, it was an inauspicious start for the three-time All-Star. He walked two and hit Randy Arozarena with a pitch in the first inning but managed to escape the bases-loaded jam by striking out Joey Wendle.

To say Cole settled in from there would be an understatement.

He didn't give up a hit through 4.2 innings while blowing fastballs by hitters and then freezing them with breaking balls. The right-hander may have been working on three days' rest for the first time in his career, but there were no signs of concern outside of a high pitch count as he struck out nine in 5.1 frames.

Other than Austin Meadows, that is, who tied the game with a solo blast in the fifth inning. It was the only hit Cole allowed, although Brett Gardner helped him out with a leaping catch at the wall to rob Randy Arozarena.

There would be no leaping catch to save Chapman, who came in much earlier than usual in the seventh inning only to give up the dramatic long ball to Brosseau. That it was Brosseau, who was the batter when Chapman threw near his head to clear the benches during the regular season, surely made it that much sweeter for Tampa Bay.

It was quite a moment of revenge for Brosseau.

Rays Bullpen Thrives in Victory

While New York surely entered the game planning on riding Cole into the late innings, Tampa Bay had other plans.

It started with Tyler Glasnow, who cruised through 2.1 shutout innings without allowing a single hit before giving way to the bullpen. Considering he was working on just two days' rest, it was no surprise to see him exit so quickly.

That was quickly a problem for the Rays, though, as Nick Anderson allowed an opposite-field home run to Aaron Judge to lead off the fourth inning.

To Anderson's credit, he allowed just one other hit in 2.2 innings. Pete Fairbanks also impressed by blowing a 100 mph fastball past Luke Voit to strand two runners in the sixth as part of his two shutout frames.

It was then Diego Castillo's time to shine. He struck out two in a scoreless eighth and then struck out two more to wrap up the win in the ninth.

This was not a run-of-the-mill lineup the Rays bullpen shut down, either, as the Yankees led the American League in runs during the regular season. If Tampa Bay's bullpen pitches like it did Friday when it faces the Astros, it will be in the World Series.

What's Next?

The Rays will face the Astros in Game 1 of the ALCS on Sunday, and the Yankees will turn their attention toward the offseason and adding more pieces to help them make a deeper playoff run next year.