Rays @ Yankees

Who will WIN this matchup?

Tampa Bay Rays (26-16)

@ New York Yankees (27-16)

Starting Pitchers:

Snell (TB): 3-4; 3.68 ERA

Tanaka (NYY) 3-3; 3.44 ERA

Last 10 Games Played:

Tampa Bay Rays: 5-5

New York Yankees: 8-2

Current odds:

Tampa Bay Rays: (-110)

New York Yankees: (+100)

• It took a three-run rally and a walk-off hit, but the New York Yankees are finally sitting in first place in the American League East. The Yankees will try to pad their advantage and clinch another series win when they host the Tampa Bay Rays in the second of a three-game series on Saturday. New York, which took two of three at the Rays last weekend, went into the ninth inning down 3-1 on Friday before rallying for three runs off Tampa Bay closer Jose Alvarado, capped by Gio Urshela’s walk-off drive to center. The Yankees are winners of nine of their last 11 and jumped a half-game ahead of the Rays with Friday’s victory, which featured Kendrys Morales’ first home run since joining the team earlier this week and a solo blast in the ninth by first baseman Luke Voit, sparking the rally.

• Tampa Bay pitching allowed a total of one run – Morales’ blast – in 26 innings before Alvarado’s meltdown in the ninth, during which he surrendered four hits, intentionally walked a batter and allowed the tying run to score on a wild pitch. Rays ace Blake Snell will try to pick the staff back up on Saturday while right-hander Masahiro Tanaka goes for New York.

• Snell struck out 12 in 5 2/3 innings against New York at home on Sunday but was charged with two runs and four hits to suffer the loss in a game Tampa Bay dropped 7-1. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner received a total of six runs of support in his four losses and is up to 62 strikeouts in 43 total innings. Snell is 3-5 with a 4.25 ERA in 12 career starts against the Yankees, including 1-4 with a 5.63 mark in eight outings at New York.

• Tanaka outdueled Snell in Tampa Bay on Sunday, scattering one run and five hits over seven innings while striking out seven to earn the win. The Japan native yielded a solo home run to Austin Meadows in that outing and surrendered at least one blast in each of his last seven turns. Tanaka, who is 2-1 with a 3.03 ERA in five starts at home in 2019, is 9-4 with a 3.54 ERA in 15 career starts against the Rays.

• The Rays acquired veteran C Erik Kratz from the San Francisco Giants on Friday in exchange for a player to be named or cash.

• Yankees LHP James Paxton (knee) threw in the bullpen on Friday and did fielding drills.

• New York CF Aaron Hicks (back) is 0-for-9 with five strikeouts in three games since coming off the IL.