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The New York Yankees travel to the Sunshine State for the opening match of their four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays. These division rivals are jockeying for position in a stacked American League East. The Yankees have been on a mini-slump and have lost three straight games but continue to rule the entire American League with a 29-13 record.
The Rays, on the other hand, have a respectable 24-17 win-loss card and are in second place in the American League East. They are 4.5 games behind the division-leading Yankees.
Match Details
Fixture: New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays.
Date & Time: Thursday, May 26, 6:40 PM EDT.
Venue: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida.
New York Yankees Preview
The New York Yankees seem to have hit a wall, as of late. They've lost two games to the Chicago White Sox and have recently lost to the lowly Baltimore Orioles. But this shouldn't be a cause for concern. The Yankees squad has proven their dominance and resilience this season, and a few dropped games won't faze their confidence.
The Bronx Bombers should be cautious, in this game against the Rays, because this might be an early preview of the playoff matchup between the two squads. Along with the Toronto Blue Jays, both the Yankees and the Rays are primed and poised to take playoff spots this year, and there could only be so many spots for several powerhouse teams.
Key Player - Aaron Judge
Early American League MVP candidate MVP Aaron Judge is in immaculate form at the start of the season. He has led the majors with 17 homers so far, five more than the next person on the list. He also has two stolen bases, eight doubles, and 34 RBIs on 49 base hits.
"You be the Judge." - @ New York Yankees
Judge boasts a slash line of .325/.398/.715 with an OPS of 1.113. It would be interesting to see if he can give the superb Tampa Bay Rays rotation a hard time in this game. If he is successful in doing so, expect the Yankees to topple the Rays easily.
New York Yankees Projected Lineup
Starting Pitcher: Nestor Cortes.
- DJ LeMahieu, 3B
- Aaron Judge, CF
- Anthony Rizzo, 1B
- Giancarlo Stanton, DH
- Aaron Hicks, LF
- Gleyber Torres, 2B
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa, SS
- Marwin Gonzalez, RF
- Jose Trevino, C
Tampa Bay Rays Preview
Like clockwork, the Tampa Bay Rays have pulled the rabbits out of the hat and placed them in their pitching crew. They are playing without Andrew Kitteridge, Tyler Glasnow, Shane Baz, and Luis Patiño, just to name a few, but have continued to dominate the pitching categories as if none of the previous names were missing from the team.
It is remarkable how the Rays' organization does this every year, and it is commendable of their scouting team. They have an ERA of 3.39 as a collective and have fanned 359 batters while only issuing 105 walks. It would be a challenging affair for them this game as statistically, the Yankees are one of the best teams on offense this season.
Key Player - Randy Arozarena
Reigning American League Rookie of the Year Randy Arozarena, by his standards, is having a decent start to the season. He's carrying a slash line of .258/.310/.413 with an OPS of .723. The 27-year-old has four homers, ten doubles, a triple, and 16 RBIs on 40 base hits. He has also stolen seven bases.
"Randy Arozarena continues to swing a hot stick!" - @ Talkin' Baseball
The young phenom is heating up little by little. It would be fun to watch how he would approach an excellent New York Yankees rotation spearheaded by the one and only "Nasty" Nestor Cortes.
Tampa Bay Rays Projected Lineup
Starting Pitcher: Corey Kluber.
- Yandy Diaz, 1B
- Wander Franco, SS
- Randy Arozarena, LF
- Choi Ji-man, DH
- Vidal Brujan, 2B
- Kevin Kiermaier, CF
- Mike Zunino, C
- Taylor Walls, 3B
- Brett Phillips, RF
New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction
This will be a close battle between the two goliaths of the American League East. It will come down to offense as both teams are notoriously good at pitching. With a higher octane offense, we'll give the Yankees the edge in this matchup. Yankees to win, 4-3.
Where to follow Yankees vs Rays?
Watch: YES Network (Yankees), Bally Sports Sun, MLBN (out-of-market only) (Rays).
Listen: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (Yankees), WDAE 620 AM/95.3 FM, WGES 680 (Rays).
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