The Yankees just snapped a 7-game losing streak by beating the AL East leaders on their own turf. Now Tampa Bay has to prove Monday night was a blip and not a trend.
Bush’s PicksPicks madeJul 7, 4:17 AM CT
+117NYYTB-116-126
-190NYY +1.5TB -1.5+177+169
-114Over 7.5Under 7.5+102
Best BetRays -126
Tampa Bay is favored here and still owns the better overall record and division lead despite the recent skid, with Seymour rolling in his last couple of outings. New York just snapped a 7-game losing streak to win the opener, which makes the Yankees' plus-money price tempting, but banking on a struggling offense to string together two straight against a first-place club is the riskier side. Lean Rays to bounce back at home.
Yankees
+Snapped 7-game skid with 5-1 win Monday
+Ben Rice leads team with 25 homers
+Warren has allowed 2 ER or fewer in most starts
−Hit just .110 with RISP over prior 15 games
−Judge, Stanton, Rodon and Fried all sidelined
−Boone facing real scrutiny after brutal stretch
Rays
+First place in AL East at 52-36
+Caminero and Diaz both hitting for power and average
+Seymour has allowed 1 run over his last two outings
−Dropped three of last five including opener to NYY
−Bullpen gutted by injuries to Matz, Rodriguez, Uceta, Wilson
−Fraley and Lux still not back from rehab assignments
Tuesday's rematch at Tropicana Field is a legit pitching matchup. Will Warren (7-3, 3.73 ERA) takes the ball for New York looking to build on a Yankees team that finally looked like itself again, while Ian Seymour (5-1, 4.02 ERA) gets the ball for Tampa Bay trying to stop the bleeding after back-to-back losses. First pitch is 6:40 PM ET.
New York's lineup is still without Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, and the rotation is missing Carlos Rodon and Max Fried, so every healthy body matters right now. Tampa Bay isn't exactly whole either — its bullpen has been picked apart by injuries to Steven Matz, Manuel Rodriguez, Edwin Uceta and others, and Jake Fraley and Gavin Lux are still working their way back on rehab assignments. Both clubs are banged up; this is a game about who's getting more from less.
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NYY Yankees
TB Rays
None of that stopped the Rays from building the best record in the American League East, and it didn't stop the Yankees from finding a way to snap their funk on Monday. The margins here are thin, and how each front office reads this series could shape what they do before the trade deadline.
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays
Recent form.
Give New York credit for Monday: Cam Schlittler bounced back from a rough outing against Detroit with a strong start, the Yankees hit three homers, and Ben Rice — the team's home run leader — added an insurance run in the 5-1 win. That capped a stretch where Aaron Boone didn't sugarcoat things, calling it 'a terrible week' for a club that had gone ice cold with runners on base during its skid. Whether that was a one-night fix or an actual turnaround is exactly what this game will start to answer.
New York Yankees
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Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Tampa Bay Rays
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Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
Tampa Bay still has the better record and the division lead, and hitters like Junior Caminero and Yandy Diaz give the lineup real thump even with the wobbly bullpen behind it. Seymour has quietly been excellent in his last two outings, and if he keeps that up while the relief crew steadies itself, the Rays' recent stumble looks more like a speed bump than a slide. New York took the last game, but taking the series is a different task against a team that's still built to win the East.
