More than three months have passed since the Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs by the Rays, who won them in five games at the ALDS, sealed with Mike Brosseau’s homer at the end of Aroldis Chapman’s eighth game.
Despite the result, DJ LeMahieu remains certain that the Yankees should have won the series.
“I think we found a really hot team from Tampa,” said LeMahieu during a Zoom conference call on Thursday, after his six-year, $ 90 million deal to stay in the Bronx became official. “I thought we were better than them.”
The Yankees won the opening behind Gerrit Cole and Game 4 thanks to excellent bullpen work before their attack ended in the decisive game and Chapman allowed another great post-season homer.
“I think they made some plays that we didn’t make and that was the end result,” said LeMahieu of Rays, who beat Astros in seven games at ALCS before losing the World Series in six.
“From now on, we have to make these plays, whatever they may be,” said LeMahieu of Rays, who also won eight of the ten clashes between the teams in the regular season. “I thought last year, they just had our number. It was disappointing and I really think we will overcome the problem here. “