Yankees @ Rays

Who will WIN this matchup?

New York Yankees (55-29)

@ Tampa Bay Rays (50-37)

Starting Pitchers:

Happ (NYY): 7-4; 5.23 ERA

Chirinos (TB) 7-4; 3.10 ERA

Last 10 Games Played:

New York Yankees: 8-2

Tampa Bay Rays: 6-4

Current odds:

New York Yankees: (-112)

Tampa Bay Rays: (+102)

• The New York Yankees have an opportunity to blow open the American League East race when they visit the Tampa Bay Rays for a four-game set that begins Thursday. New York rolls into its final series before the All-Star break with a 6 1/2-game lead over Tampa Bay and is 14-2 in its last 16 after sweeping two from Boston in London and splitting a pair with the crosstown Mets in the Subway Series. Didi Gregorius is wielding a hot bat for the Yankees with six consecutive multi-hit performances and at least one run in each contest, going 13-for-27 with three homers, six RBIs and 10 runs during that span after belting his fourth shot of the season on Wednesday.

• Tampa Bay fell to 4-2 on its homestand leading into the break with Wednesday’s 9-6 loss to Baltimore that snapped its four-game winning streak and dropped it to 36-6 when scoring five or more runs this season. New York’s J.A. Happ takes the mound on Thursday following one of the worst outings of his career as he opposes Yonny Chirinos, who is 0-2 with a 3.75 ERA and little run support in his last four starts as he makes his fourth appearance of the season against the Yankees. New York leads the season series 7-2, including a three-game sweep at Yankee Stadium last month during which it outscored the Rays 21-4.

• Happ matched a career high when he allowed eight runs and 11 hits (three homers) in four innings of a 9-4 loss to Houston on June 23. The 36-year-old native of Illinois has served up 20 home runs this season – seven shy of the career-worst 27 he permitted in 2018. Kevin Kiermaier is 5-for-21 with six strikeouts against Happ, who is 5-4 with a 4.30 ERA in 18 games (17 starts) against the Rays after allowing two runs over five frames in a 6-3 victory on June 18.

• Chirinos yielded four runs (three earned), five hits and four walks in six innings of a 5-0 setback against Texas on Friday. Tampa Bay has lost the 25-year-old Venezuelan’s last four starts, scoring a total of four runs during that span. Gary Sanchez is 0-for-8 with three strikeouts and DJ LeMahieu 2-for-7 with two home runs against Chirinos, who is 2-2 with a 2.94 ERA in five games (two starts) versus New York – 1-1, 3.07 in three contests (one start) this season.

• LeMahieu on Wednesday was named AL Player of the Month for June, batting .395 with six home runs, 29 RBIs, 26 runs and eight walks in 25 games.

• Tampa Bay INF Michael Brosseau hit his first major-league home run on his 10th at-bat after being recalled from Triple-A Durham earlier Wednesday to replace 1B Ji-Man Choi (ankle), who was placed on the 10-day injured list.

• Yankees radio announcer John Sterling’s streak of 5,060 games, according to the club, will come to an end Thursday on his 81st birthday. Sterling, who told reporters he “wasn’t feeling 100 percent,” is expected to be back in the booth after missing his first game since 1989 when New York hosts Toronto on July 12.