Tampa Bay Looks to Extend Win Streak Against Struggling Yankees

Tue, Jun 1, 2021
By Jim Vassallo (Veri.bet Writer)

The Tampa Bay Rays visit the New York Yankees on Tuesday, June 1, at 7 PM ET at Yankee Stadium.

The Rays enter tonight’s AL East contest on a five-game win streak, while the Yankees have dropped four in a row.

Tampa Bay is in first in the East, holding a two-game lead over the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees are 5.5 games behind Tampa Bay in third place.

These teams have already played each other 10 times, with the Rays leading the season series 7-3.

Tonight’s pitching matchup features two righties who have been dominant to begin the 2021 season.

Tyler Glasnow takes the ball for Tampa Bay with a 4-2 record and 2.57 ERA. He has struck out 98 batters in 70 innings pitched.

Domingo German takes the hill for New York with a 4-3 record and a 3.06 ERA. He has struck out 47 batters in 50 innings.

Both pitchers have allowed nine home runs this season.

Tampa Bay comes into tonight 16-1 in their last 17 games. The Yankees are just 1-6 in their last seven games played.

Tampa Bay took down New York 3-1 on Monday.

"We're all huddled around," Ray's center fielder Kevin Kiermaier said. "I just give all the pitchers shout-outs, nice defensive plays, homers, stuff like that, and then kind of finish it with my own little rap, jingle thing."

Rich Hill went five scoreless innings, which lowered his ERA to the lowest in the last 75 years for one month by a pitcher 40 or older.

"Every and every year, I said, `Fellas, I don't have to do it if you don't want it.' And everyone wants me to do it," Kiermaier went on. "I'm glad my teammates don't judge me for it, because when guys come over to get traded and see it for the first time, they're just kind of bashful at times. But it's all good fun."

The win moved hill to 3-0 with a 2.04 ERA against the Yankees this year. He is the oldest player in Tampa Bay’s history. He did not throw a single pitch that broke 90 on the radar gun in the victory.

Hill went the month of May with an ERA of 0.78 and a record of 3-1. His 0.78 ERA is the third-lowest in history for a single month for a pitcher 40 or older.

"I know what we do here and how that buy-in is, and being on board is important for a total team win," Hill said.

"I don't think anybody's getting too far ahead of themselves or too excited," Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. "We all recognize and appreciate this is a long season. It's longer than the one that we experienced in 2020."

The Rays have been nearly unbeatable of late. Even though they are on the road tonight, it’s best to take Tampa Bay with the -1.5 spread over New York as they win their sixth game in a row and remain atop the AL East.