On October 9, 2020, the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees met in San Diego for a winner-take-all Game 5 of the American League Division Series. The score was tied 1-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning when Rays infielder Mike Brosseau stepped to the plate against Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman.
The at-bat carried added tension. Five weeks earlier, Chapman had thrown a 101 mph fastball that sailed near Brosseau’s head during a heated regular-season game. Both benches cleared, and the incident remained part of the story when the two faced each other again with the season on the line.
Brosseau quickly fell behind 0-2, but he stayed in the at-bat. Over the next several pitches, he fouled off Chapman’s fastballs and worked the count full.
Then, on the tenth pitch, Chapman delivered a 100.2 mph fastball. Brosseau drove it deep into the left-field seats for a solo home run, giving the Rays a 2-1 lead.
Tampa Bay held on to win by that score, eliminating the Yankees and advancing to the American League Championship Series.
The home run became one of the defining moments of the Rays’ 2020 postseason. It was a dramatic finish to a tense playoff game, shaped by an earlier confrontation and decided by a player who refused to give in.
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