Rays at Yankees
The New York Yankees have hit at least one home run in 20 straight games and are expected to get another slugger back in the lineup Tuesday when they continue a three-game set against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. Cameron Maybin went deep for the third straight game while DJ LeMahieu belted a two-run blast in a 3-0 series-opening victory for the Yankees on Monday and Giancarlo Stanton is slated to return for the second game of the set.
Stanton, the 2017 National League MVP when he launched 59 homers for Miami, has been out since March 31 when he suffered a biceps injury and will join a lineup that includes Edwin Encarnacion - acquired over the weekend from Seattle, where he already had 21 home runs. J.A. Happ hopes to get some offense from the power-packed lineup when he takes the mound for New York, which has won three straight, and Tampa Bay is slated to counter with reliever Ryne Stanek likely opening for Ryan Yarbrough on Tuesday. The Rays had won six of seven contests to move back into first place in the American League East on June 10, but have dropped five of seven since to fall 1 1/2 games behind the Yankees in the division after managing just two hits in the series opener. Austin Meadows and Willy Adames recorded the only hits for Tampa Bay while Avisail Garcia, Kevin Kiermaier and Tommy Pham went a combined 0-for-10 to end their respective hitting streaks.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Ryne Stanek (0-1, 2.45 ERA) vs. Yankees LH J.A. Happ (6-3, 4.66)
Stanek has prospered in the "opener" role, posting a 1.71 ERA in 20 starts with 35 strikeouts across 31 2/3 total innings. Yarbrough is 3-2 in five outings since spending about a month in the minors, allowing four runs over 15 innings in two of his starts and 12 runs across 13 frames in the other two along with a scoreless relief stint of 3 2/3 innings. Stanton is 3-for-6 with a homer versus Yarbrough, who was 3-2 with a 3.71 ERA in five relief outings against the Yankees last year.
Happ is unbeaten in seven straight starts despite permitting four runs on five hits and a season-high four walks over five innings in a no-decision against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. The 36-year-old Northwestern product has given up at least one homer in six straight outings, and owns a 4.38 ERA during his unbeaten streak. Garcia is 3-for-9 with a pair of homers against Happ, who went 1-1 with a 1.53 ERA in three starts versus the Rays last year.
WALK-OFFS
1. Tampa Bay INF Yandy Diaz was rested in the series opener after going 10-for-20 in his last five contests.
2. The Yankees have not been shut out in 153 games, dating back to an 11-0 loss to Boston on June 30, 2018.
3. Rays INF Joey Wendle is 1-for-14 with four strikeouts in four games since returning from the injured list.
PREDICTION: Rays 5, Yankees 4