It’s the middle game of a weekend series that could tighten up the AL East race on the diamond in the Big Apple. The Tampa Bay Rays are on the road as they play the second game of this three-game set with the New York Yankees Saturday afternoon. Tampa Bay swept Boston at home as they picked up a 1-0 win on Wednesday night in the finale of that series. New York took three of four at home from Minnesota at home though they were upended 4-3 in the finale of that set Thursday night. This article was published prior to the conclusion of the series opener at Yankee Stadium Friday night.
Tampa Bay swept Boston with Wednesday’s win for their third straight victory and their eighth in the last nine games. The Rays entered Friday second in the AL East, 4.5 games behind the Yankees for the division lead. In the AL wild card picture, the team held the top wild card spot by 1.5 games over the Mariners and were six games clear of the Orioles to remain on the right side of the cut line. Against Boston, Tampa Bay finished with only four hits with Taylor Walls (RBI) driving in the lone run with a RBI infield single in the fifth inning. Jeffrey Springs didn’t factor in the decision as he threw three scoreless innings, allowing one hit with one walk and two strikeouts. Yonny Chirinos (1-0) earned the win with three scoreless frames, allowing four hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Peter Fairbanks worked a scoreless ninth, allowing no hits with one walk and two strikeouts, for his sixth save of the year.
&# 13;
Corey Kluber is on the mound as he makes his 27th start of the season for the Rays in this contest. He comes in 10-7 with a 4.00 ERA, a 1.122 WHIP, 18 walks and 122 strikeouts over 141.2 innings of work on the year. Kluber earned the win in his last start, which came last Saturday at home against the Yankees. He threw seven innings, allowing no runs on two hits with no walks and four strikeouts in a 2-1 Tampa Bay victory. In his last three starts, Kluber is 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA, a 0.79 WHIP, no walks and 11 strikeouts over 19 innings of work. Kluber makes his 13th career start against the Yankees in this contest. He is 6-3 with a 2.08 WHIP, a 0.79 WHIP, 11 walks and 87 strikeouts over 82.1 innings of work against them. Kluber is 5-4 with a 2.38 ERA, a 1.071 WHIP, 25 walks and 85 strikeouts over 79.1 innings in 14 career starts at Yankee Stadium.