Yankees Lose & Rays Win! Tampa advances to ALCS

The Tampa Bay Rays eliminate the New York Yankees from the 2026 playoffs in three games. Mark Corbett and Mat Germain break down the Rays' dominant pitching, Victor Mesa Jr.'s statement home run, fan interference controversy at Yankee Stadium, and the Rays' relentless pressure that silenced a sold-out Bronx crowd.
They also dive into the Yankees' grim offseason outlook, with $205.5M committed to an aging core (Judge, Cole, Stanton, Rodón, Fried), and debate whether New York needs to blow it up.
Plus: a preview of the Brewers vs. Dodgers NLCS matchup, why Mat likes Milwaukee's chances behind Misiorowski and Jackson Chourio, Kike Hernández as the Dodgers' X-factor, and when the Rays resume ALCS play on October 12.
Topics & Timestamps:

• Rays eliminate Yankees in 3: Rays pitching stifles New York's offense
• Victor Mesa Jr.'s home run and dugout stare-down
• Fan interference & unruly Yankee Stadium crowd behavior
• Caminero's imaginary broom sweep
• Yankees' $205.5M aging roster problem for 2027
• Should the Yankees release Giancarlo Stanton?
• Aaron Judge's postgame: "I hate it" + "That stays in-house"
• Rays get extended rest before ALCS starts October 12
• Brewers vs. Dodgers NLCS preview: Misiorowski vs. Skubal, Chourio vs. Ohtani
• Kike Hernández and Yamamoto as Dodgers difference-makers
• Happy Canadian Thanksgiving: ALCS begins Monday, October 12

Tags: #TampaBayRays #NewYorkYankees #MLBPlayoffs2026 #BaseballBiz #ALDS #PostseasonBaseball #RaysBaseball #Yankees #ALCS #NLCS #Brewers #Dodgers

Transcript

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380A Tampa Bay Rays advance in postseason

Mark Corbett: [00:00:00] Wow, where do we start? Where do we start? Okay I don't know if you watched any of the postseason stuff, or not postsea- post-game stuff last night, but I was looking both with Pedro Martinez with, do the Genesis thing, and then also Ortiz on Fox, and one thing was loud and clear: "Yankees lose, Yankees lose, the Yankees lose."

I c- I can't do either one of their voices, but that would rang clear, true and clear. I thought, isn't that nice to be able to share something with Ortiz and, and Martinez? And I, I don't want to take, what's it called, the Freuden-schade where you take pleasure in... Or is it Schadenfreude? Anyway, whatever it is, that whole thing about taking pleasure in someone else's pain.

It was, it was some of that last night, too. But there was more joy [00:01:00] about what was happening than anything, Matt. Last night, that game was amazing, and seeing such great talent come to bear, what, what, what were you feeling as you watched that? 

Mat Germain: Um, I, I just think the, the Rays in general have comported themselves with a lot of pride, a lot of poise, , a lot of we belong here, we know we belong here.

, But that one moment when, , Victor Mesa Jr. hit the home run and he just stood there and, and looked into the Yankee dugout, and you know the eyes were speaking a million words a minute. And, and it was just meant to say, , this is a, a sign of things to come. Like, we're, we're not done yet and we're gonna continue on.

And if I'm the Yankees sitting there and, and watching this, I just, you know... They did come back and try to make it a, a thing of it, and if it wasn't for that fan, who knows? Maybe that double's a triple. Maybe things get [00:02:00] changed a little bit. But it, it felt like, um, um, all together, , there just was a constant battling attitude in the Rays' front where we're not gonna let you get a lead.

We're gonna keep hammering out and we're gonna keep working towards maintaining a lead and putting the pressure on you. And any time you do that, the other team almost feels like they're suffocating. Every time they take one step forward, they take two steps back. So that's the feeling that I got, was it was just, it was a, a, like the Yankees are a good team, but they never were allowed to get any positive momentum going by the Rays.

And every time they did, the Rays shut down the crowd, turned the volume down, and focused. 

Mark Corbett: And man, did that crowd get silent. Mm. They had a full house too last night, which wasn't surprising. You know, this was a live or die for the Yankees. And it's, by the same token, Matt, I'm thinking we're looking probably 12 days [00:03:00] back, the ceremony that happened last night in the Yankees locker room happened before.

And that's after we had completed four wins against, uh, the Yankees and I don't know if it's about that point, but we had completed enough to win the AL East Division. So we forced the Yankees now to put up plastic twice here in the last half month. And I don't know if we're gonna get a bill for any damages or not inside that locker room, but something could be forthcoming 

Mat Germain: I don't know.

Yeah, I got a message from a fan that said, uh, "Yeah, it's all good, but, uh, you know, we, we deserve some credit for h- allowing you guys to use Steinbrenner Field last year." I said, "Excuse me, but I'm pretty sure that we allowed Steinbrenner Field to be in Tampa for the last whatever period," and that is way more of an accommodation than allowing a stadium use for one season.

Mark Corbett: Amen. Amen. And you know, it wasn't like they did it for free either, brother. 

Mat Germain: [00:04:00] Exactly. 

Mark Corbett: There were a few million dollars involved with that, to say the least. But oh, there were so many great moments. I mean, early on I think it was a, a double play, and it went to Aranda, so it was a 3-6-3 double play with Taylor Walls, and it was amazing to see that happen.

There was, there were so many other little moments like it, and going back to the, uh, fan interference that could've made a difference for the r- the Yankees, and it was abhorrent the behavior from the fans. Not unexpected from Yankees.

They're throwing beer cans and other things at, uh, Mesa out there right after that whole little event took place, and it's like there should've been, I don't know how many people they sh- they ejected.

They obviously ejected the guy who reached out to grab the ball, but there should've been some other fans ejected too. And it's, kind of goes to when people wanna talk bad about Yankees fans, those people didn't help any last night who were out there throwing stuff [00:05:00] onto the field. So shame on them, but hey, they got fed.

They got fed a loss by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Mat Germain: Oh, no, you're right. 

Mark Corbett: And, and I was gonna say one of the moments was post-game, I didn't realize what all was going on. They were shooting out there at the players on the field, and I see, uh, Caminero making this movement out on the field. I c- I can't figure out what it is.

I said, "Karen, what's he doing?" She goes, "Oh, he's sweeping. He's, he has a, he has a imaginary broom and he is sweeping the field out there." 

Mat Germain: You gotta love it. 

Mark Corbett: Oh, it's perfect. Yeah. It was absolutely perfect. But there was just so many great moments in that last night and, you know, and worrisome moments, too.

Martinez getting hit smack dab in the middle of the back. Yeah. And he, I was worried about how much of an injury he might actually have from it. The man, whatever, however he may have been injured, he continued on in that dugout and with smiles and [00:06:00] cheering folks on and everything else to boot. So I hope that he's going to be well as, uh, as this, things progress for the rest of the year.

But geez, Maniez. 

Mat Germain: Yeah. He, uh, he, he, he'll be an interesting, part of the next series that the Rays are gonna face, whether it's the Guardians or the White Sox. And, um, they, I like the way that Griffin Jax came out. I like the fact that they were, were willing to use Ian Seymour again. And for that young man to go on the mound and not even look phased in the least, he's in New York.

He's, you know, and I've always known that about him, is that he has the presence on the mound like he belongs. Like, he's not gonna be intimidated. He's gonna be the intimidator, uh, essentially, just by the way that he thr- he pitches and how aggressive he is on the mound. But all of the pitching for the Rays, there isn't one pitcher that I can point out in this series that looked, like, out of sorts, right?

Or that looked very vulnerable. There was mistakes made here and there, very [00:07:00] small and tiny ones, but if you ask the Yankees what won the Rays this series, they would point to the pitching over and over and over again. Yeah. And it was stellar, and also the execution defensively. Aranda did miss a, a couple of plays yesterday, but the double play he turned with Taylor Walls was outstanding, and it's exactly that kind of thing, uh, that has carried the Rays through a lot of, uh, wins this season.

Mark Corbett: There were some funny moments in the game, too. I know when, uh, I saw was it De Luca and Mesa were going for the same ball in the outfield early on, and I was concerned there'd be an actual collision. And there was a general collision, but the good news was they caught the ball and there was an out. But let's see what else was kind of crazy.

Oh, I know. Caminero, after it looked where I think when he had thrown the ball over to Aranda and it wasn't where Aranda could have a foot on base and still reach it. The next time a ball came over in the general area where Caminero, was, he let Walls come over and pick that one up and send it over [00:08:00] to Aranda.

So I thought, uh, not, I wouldn't say he stepped away from it, but he went ahead and allowed Walls to make that play, you know, clearly. So- Yeah ... that was fun. And then, see, Griffin Jax, let's see, how many innings was it? Uh, he pitched for two innings and had four strikeouts. Ian Seymour pitched for one and a third innings, he had two strikeouts.

Mm-hmm. And, you know, coming up at the end, seeing Kevin Kelly come in for just that one and do his business and make that happen. 

Mat Germain: But a key there is Griffin Jax faced Ben Rice twice and got him out each time. So he didn't allow the biggest bat in the Yankees lineup to get to them. And to me, that was a huge momentum shift in the game because if you're shutting him down, sure, other guys can squeeze in a, a hit here or double there.

But, uh, generally he's the one that's done the most damage. Yeah. Um, so as soon as you shut him out, especially without Judge in the lineup, it was just, it was hard for the [00:09:00] Yankees to gain any momentum. Uh, that hit from Anthony Volpe, though. Like you're talking, what, six inches being the difference between a home run and a, and a game tying one.

Now, nothing to say that the Rays would've lost at that point. Like, they could have still pulled it off, right? Yeah. It doesn't really ... Like, no fan from New York, first of all, can argue the call. The call was correct, and putting the guy at second base was the right call. Um, so I, I'm not hearing today or at any point, you know

Um, sure, there's disappointment, but there's not frustrations pointing to MLB saying, "They got the call wrong. It should have been this," yada, yada, yada. And I think the rest of the league that are non-New York fans are like, "Why does this kind of thing only happen in New York?" Amen. You know, all the other fans know not to do it.

Oh. So why does New York, you know, get involved? It's, uh, it's kind of funny how that turns out. 

Mark Corbett: Well, it, it's, it is, and there's a lot of weirdness about New York [00:10:00] anyway. I... Post-game they were doing an interview with, with Judge, and one of the reporters said, "I noticed that you were the last person to leave the dugout, that you were there observing as the Rays won and their celebration.

And what did you feel? What were you thinking?" He says, "I hate it. I absolutely hate it." And it wasn't a mean hate, it was just like, "I can't believe this happened," or, "I hate that it happened." And they grilled him a lot, you know, about, "If you were in here, do you think it would've been different?" And they go, sort of all those type of questions.

They started asking him questions about the front office. And, oh, by the way, Aaron, they said, "What, what did you say to the team after the game?" He pauses, takes a breath, and says, "That stays in-house." And I thought that's classy in itself right there. There's, there's things, there's moments that a captain of a team needs to keep in-house, and I, I was pleased to see him say [00:11:00] that 

Mat Germain: Yeah, you're seeing a transition shift, in my opinion, in, in, in New York.

And l- let me just lay it out because I do think it's important now that the New York Yankees are out of the playoff playoffs in 2026, to look at what kind of situation they've cornered themselves into for next year. Okay? So I'm just gonna run down these players and their ages and how much money they're owed next year.

So Cody Bellinger is gonna be 32 at this point next year. So in the playoffs next year, he'll be 32. $42 million he's getting paid next year. Aaron Judge is going to be 35. He's gonna make 40 million. Gerrit Cole is gonna be 37. He's gonna make 36 million. Giancarlo Stanton's gonna be 37. He's gonna make 29 million.

Carlos Rodón is gonna make... Uh, is 34. He's gonna make 28 million. Ryan McMahon's gonna be 32. He's gonna make 16 million. And Max Fried is gonna be 33. He's gonna make 14 and a half million. So altogether you're looking at [00:12:00] 205.5 million dedicated to guys 31 to 33 or 37 and over for the next playoff run. So when you start there, you're like, "Okay, well, what am I spending $100 million on beyond th- this to, to prop this group up?"

Because you don't know how healthy they're gonna be. We're already seeing it from Judge. It's not gonna get much better. Stanton's a walking nightmare. Uh, Cole and, and Rodón have had history, you know, with injuries recently. Fried is not looking as healthy as he used to. 

Mark Corbett: No. 

Mat Germain: There's a lot of question marks to kind of answer.

So even though you have this young group that's coming in with Lombard and Volpe and, uh, uh, some of the other outfielders that they've brought in, it's not enough to prop up the old man, , kind of feel that the team is heading towards. 

Mark Corbett: Yeah. 

Mat Germain: So I don't know how they get out of it other than to just pull the plug a little bit like some other teams have done with Randone, for [00:13:00] instance, and just bite the bullet, release Stanton and his 29 million and fill the void, right?

So that you have a usable player. Because if you're Aaron Boone, like I give him a lot of leeway this year because he was stuck without his best player. He was stuck using guys that weren't ideal, and some of the pitching just wasn't in gear to- Right ... to kind of fill that void. So I, I just don't know.

When you're looking at the AL East as a whole, the Blue Jays have a lot of questions. The Yankees have a lot of questions. So it's gonna be intri- interesting offseason to see how they address those. 

Mark Corbett: Well, Matt, of all those players you mentioned, now are any of those where they are free agents at, after that point, or is it it's solid?

They actually have that money committed next year? 

Mat Germain: Yeah, that's solid. They're, they're all committed. Those are not options. So they do have the option, like I said, to release some of those guys a little bit earlier than they had anticipated. 

Mark Corbett: Right. 

Mat Germain: But the only one I can really see them doing that with is Stanton, uh, unless there's an [00:14:00] injury with one of the pitchers.

So if there's a really major injury with, uh, I don't know, Carlos Rodón, then they could bite the bullet or I think Ryan McMahon, it is his last year as well, so like Stanton, he could be let go. , The option for Stanton, , I don't remember, uh, hang on, because he has an option for 2028 Me look this up quickly.

Uh, his option has a $10 million buyout. So if they do buy out the 2027 season, then it's gonna cost them 35 million, not 25. 

Mark Corbett: Jeez. Jeez. Woof. 

Mat Germain: Yeah. 

Mark Corbett: Oh my gosh. I tell you what, it's, it means they've crippled themselves up front with this. Mm-hmm. You know, with the, the age of the players they have, and with some of the strategies that didn't make sense for a lot of people.

And I'm not gonna sit inside the mind of, of Aaron Boone and the front office there, but there had to be some things that could've been done better. And certain players, you know, do you bring Chance Chisholm in at [00:15:00] the beginning? Do you let Caballero hold his spot first? Uh, th- do you move some of the other players into positions that they don't normally play so often?

And some of that was happening. So, you know, there was, there was some flaky... I won't say flakiness. There was some, uh, unique strategies from the Yankees in the game last night that did not pay off. But I'm sure they thought with that crowd full at Yankee Stadium, that was gonna make a difference. And to hear that crowd go silent, you know, when the Rays would perk up and get a couple runs on there and stretch that lead, the, that sound in itself is deafening.

The no sound at all was deafening. And 

Mat Germain: That was on the, that was on the back of the Yankees fans being a lot more muted in Tampa than we've been used to in the past. 

Mark Corbett: Yeah, that's 

Mat Germain: true. So that was noted by the Yankees players, and they, they were surprised that their, quote-unquote, following in Tampa wasn't louder.[00:16:00] 

And, and I was like, "Well, what did you give them to cheer for?" 

Mark Corbett: Ooh. You're so harsh. So? You're... No, you're 

Mat Germain: right. 

Mark Corbett: Yeah. You're right. Gee, 'cause I... Pardon me. Yeah. I mean, it, it, it's was absolutely insane. I, I am so glad we got to watch this. And as much as I'd love to see them finish up here in Tampa, I'm so glad they wrapped it up in three.

In three. Yeah. So that, and I'm c- I didn't make it out to The Trop last night, but evidently they had a watch party ins- inside The Trop. Brett Phillips was host, so that, that already made it fun. Mm-hmm. They had about 500 people show up. They were all lined up down there r- before the doors actually opened to get in for that.

Uh, so I'm s- That's awesome. Yeah. I know they had a good time. But 

Mat Germain: So, so today the nice thing too for the Rays is that they get to sit back and evaluate both teams that they're gonna potentially face, right? Yeah. So all their scouting, all their brain trust, et cetera, can look at the [00:17:00] players that both lineups and get a lot of details.

Sure, they'll get notes on the pitching, but you're probably looking at the game four and beyond for the starting pitchers that you're gonna see today. So it's gonna be great information for them to get updated, you know, information on each one of these guys, and they come up with a game plan that works.

So they know Drew Rasmussen's gonna start game one. They're gonna reset the entire thing. All the relievers are gonna get that rest that they need, so they'll all be available. I mean, some of these guys, how, when's the last time they threw? In September? Like, it's, it's getting to be to that point where they- Yeah

need to get in the game action, right? To kinda, uh, make sure that they can still throw the ball the way they want to. Uh, but tonight, uh, for those that are interested, you're gonna see Mesick go up against Smith. Um, so two, you know, it's a great pitching matchup between the Gu- Guardians and the, uh, and the White Sox.

So it's gonna be a good game, and it's gonna be fierce and, and, you know, no matter what though, Mark, [00:18:00] let's be honest, the competition the Rays are gonna face in that series is not going to be the same caliber as the Yankees and Red Sox were, in my opinion. So like I'm not saying the Rays should take the pe- the foot off the pedal.

No. But in theory, they have the advantage, right? And especially with home field advantage on top of it, like there's a lot of things going into the Rays' favor, including the rest that they're gonna get and, uh, and the extra scouting. So yeah, it, it's, it's looking really good. And on the other side, Mark, it's, it's a repeat, uh, or repeat...

It's, it's a Dodgers versus Brewers, so a David versus Goliath, you know, uh, series. What are your thoughts on that one? 

Mark Corbett: Well, you know I wanna see the Brewers there, period. I mean, I don't wanna see the Dodgers there. I think it's gonna be a tough road, but I think Pat Murphy has, has instilled a, a good sense of what it takes to be a professional player as a Brewer, [00:19:00] I think they have an opportunity to win this thing.

I really want to, to see that happen. If you're asking me for specifics on players, it's more about gut, how I feel about the team overall. But, uh, uh, 

Mat Germain: the- Who's the best pitcher in that, in that series? Is it Miza-rowski or is it, uh, Skubal? 

Mark Corbett: I would have to say Misorowski. I mean- Mm-hmm ... Skubal has had great success, but I think there's been a steadiness to Misorowski's, you know, past year.

Skubal, I don't know is quite as much that if he's been as, as straight and solid with it. What do you think? 

Mat Germain: I, I agree. I agree. I think he's the most electric of the two. Like- Yeah ... he's in his prime. It feels like Skubal is, is, uh, is, is, uh, prime-ish, so he's not far behind. You're talking about 1A, uh, you know, and then another 1A, but like of, of a tiny, tiny bit of a notch.

Uh, like, if I was forced with a gun to my head to have to choose one or the other, I definitely would go with Miz. , But I, I also go back, okay, [00:20:00] so we've established that, and then we say, okay, which one is the most electric player? Is it Jackson Churio or one of the old men on the Dodgers? So the Brewers have the most electric position player- Yeah

in my opinion, because Ohtani's hurting, right? He's not really of his old self. If, if, if Ohtani's in his, you know, full health, then for sure he's the most elite player in that series. But the, the Brewers have the most elite player, in my opinion, in terms of, uh, position players. They have the best starting pitcher, and I can't remember the last time that the Dodgers went up against that.

Yeah. Where they felt a little bit underdogged at the top, not necessarily through the lineup, 'cause we know what they're bringing to the table overall. Nobody can really compete with that, and you just have to hope that they can attack them with the right game plans. But that's where I, I sit with the Brewers.

They're a very sound defensive team. The Dodgers are gonna have to earn it. They have really [00:21:00] strong pitching overall, really strong defense, so this is gonna be a very tight series , and one that's fought, by one or two runs per game. Oh, yeah. Because. i, I think it's gonna be seven games.

Maybe somebody wins it in six, but this is one of those where I think it's gonna be a very long battle on that side. 

Mark Corbett: Yeah,, and a little bit of wear and tear on them. We, we don't mind seeing that before we c- we have to meet up with them. But, uh, I, I mean, let's look at the Dodgers. If I always think about the local guy from where I grew up, Louisville, and that's Will Smith, you know.

Mm-hmm. And all that he's done and continues to do with it. You look at Freddie Freeman being Freddie Freeman, what he achieves, you know, at first and at bat. Uh, Mookie Betts, again, you know, just player after player after player, you go down that list, that lineup. And O- as you mentioned, Ohtani has not been at his best.

He, and he's not able to pitch this year. Mm-hmm. So he's probably at, oh, I don't know, 33% of what he's worth this year, or what he's- Right ... being paid this year. [00:22:00] 

Mat Germain: The guy that they need to look out for on the, on the Dodgers, in my opinion, is, Kike Hernandez. Mm. 'Cause you always forget when you're going through that lineup, you know, the guys that show up in the big moments, and Kike is one of those playoff performers.

Every single time he's been in there, whether it's with the Red Sox or the Dodgers, he makes something happen. The o- the other one is Yamamoto. Like, everybody forgets that he's part of that. Yes, they don't have Ohtani, but Yamamoto's the one who's, he carried Japan, he carried, you know, the Dodgers in p- previous, uh, off-seasons or post-seasons.

So like I said, it's going to be a very even tilt on both sides- Yeah ... which is why I think it's gonna be seven games. But, um, there's a lot of, of, uh, chippy kind of players on the, the, on the Brewers side as well. Like you mentioned Christian Yelich last time we were talking about them, , and a lot of the guys who basically , have brought this team forward, like William Contreras , and Bryce Turang, , Garrett Mitchell, , Sal Frelick.[00:23:00] 

There is a lot of really, really, really good talent there, including Gary Sanchez, who gives them that experience as well. Uh, Andrew Vaughn can change a, a series pretty quickly. And Trevor Magill's come into his own as a closer. Like, I'm surprised when I watch him pitch. He reminds me a bit of Brian Baker where you didn't expect it, but it comes out and you're like, "Oh, wow, this is awesome."

Um, so yeah, good for them and, and I'm glad they got there. And, uh, I hope the spirit of Bob Uecker is gonna push them through to the World Series. 

Mark Corbett: Wow, that would've been s- be something. I... You mentioned spirits and one came to me last night. Oh? And I... Yeah. I heard the voice of Ray Wills, of Wrexham, right?

I'm sorry. So yeah, I hear- 

Mat Germain: Oh ... "

Mark Corbett: Rays win, Rays win, Rays win." I was like, gee, man. Yeah, I, I felt that. I felt that. So we'll see, uh, we'll see what's the next part of it. I, I think that we s- And I would, I'd rather f- face [00:24:00] the Brewers for one r- a couple reasons. One, I just don't wanna see the Dodgers in there. I don't wanna see them make it all the way to the World Series, period.

And Brewers simply because they are, they weren't expected to be the team to be there at the beginning of the year, much like the Rays. So I'm, I'm looking forward to a combination of that being in the World Series. 

Mat Germain: I like the fact that you skipped over the ALCS, uh, Mark. 

Mark Corbett: Well, I don't wanna offend the Pope, you know?

So, uh, yeah. 

Mat Germain: Well, do you know when the next game for the Rays will be if, you know, if 

Mark Corbett: they- They... It was gonna be tonight at 6:00 I guess, or, but it's now, let's see, the next game, I don't have the schedule in front of me. 

Mat Germain: It's, it's the October 12th on Monday. 

Mark Corbett: Dude, 

Mat Germain: crazy. So, so that's, you know, that's a lot of off time the Rays are getting.

Like, you talk about healing, like they might have healed too much. They might feel brand new by the time they get over to that series. So, uh, it's gonna be interesting and I don't know, you know, what the pace of, of that series is gonna feel like, but I know they're [00:25:00] g- gonna play the first two games back to back.

So it'll be on the Monday and Tuesday. So assuming that the, the series goes four games for, or sorry, five games for the The White Sox and the Indians, or Gu- Guardians, then you're, you're not talking about much off time for that team. Yeah. It- they would basically get one day off and then boom, back to back.

Which for some teams they prefer. So, uh, it'll be interesting to see what the game plan is for the Rays in terms of keeping sh- sharp between now and then. Um, but with TV deals being what they are, they set those things in place pretty far in advance. Um, and, and, you know, Monday, Tuesday, I think Monday is Thanksgiving in Canada, so we'll be ready with popcorn and beer and all the snacks going-

uh, to watch the, the start of that series. And I'm excited for it, Mark. I'm really happy for the Rays, for the organization, for the, the players, and everybody that's chipped in. You feel it's a team effort, and I think the Rays' [00:26:00] momentum is just positive all the way through. 

Mark Corbett: Absolutely. Absolutely. Wow. I tell you what, man, I appreciate it.

We're doing the Lunch with Mat Germain today once again, and just enjoying the heck out of what's happened with the Rays thus far. Uh, Mat, you mentioned something about how long the Rays are gonna be off before their next game, and I remember our conversation before we actually were going to be playing our first post-season game because we got the bye, and we were wondering about, oh, is it going to impact the team?

Well, it didn't do it then, and I don't think it'll do it now. I think Cash and, and Martinez will keep those boys fresh, and they'll be ready, you know, when it comes up to on the 12th. Hey, an early Happy Thanksgiving too. 

Mat Germain: Absolutely.

Yeah, we, uh, were gonna be going to a place where we like to do, uh, you know, there's a, a marathon that happens there, but it's like a farm town sort of, uh, place, and it's called Wolfville, Nova [00:27:00] Scotia. And, uh, and we go there for the Harvest Valley Marathon and, uh, and have some fun over the weekend, eat too much food, and then we come home, and we have a big family feast.

So it's gonna be, uh, nice to know the Rays are cozy and in the next round for that entire period of time. I'll be relaxed and enjoying whatever other baseball I can get my hands on. But, uh, you know, I, I like this time of year. It's October. Um, the, you know, the playoffs are in for baseball, and if you're not enjoying these series, then you're not watching them 'cause they're, they're a lot of fun.

Mark Corbett: True, true, true. Well, Mat, I wanna thank you again for sp- sharing your lunchtime with us here. And Mat is the host or co-host, whatever, of BaseballBiz On Deck, and I get to spend some time with him talking about this amazing Rays team. So hope you all are enjoying this post-season as much as we are, and we look forward to talking with you all again real [00:28:00] soon.

Mat Germain: And, uh, feel the glow.- The grit and glow, man. Feel the glow. 

Mark Corbett: Take care, brother. 

Mat Germain: Cheers.