Rays at Yankees (Game 1)
Severe weather forced the postponement of Wednesday's contest, so the New York Yankees and visiting Tampa Bay Rays will attempt to play a doubleheader on Thursday to complete their four-game series. New York posted an 8-3 victory on Tuesday to even the set and increase its lead over the Rays in the American League East to six games.
The Yankees possess the best record in the AL while Tampa Bay owns the top wild-card spot. New York slugger Edwin Encarnacion has gone deep three times over the first two games of the series. Tampa Bay's Austin Meadows homered on Tuesday and is 13-for-42 with four blasts against the Yankees this season. Travis d'Arnaud belted a career-best three homers for the Rays in the series opener before going hitless in four at-bats on Tuesday.
TV: 3 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Yonny Chirinos (8-4, 3.11 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Domingo German (11-2, 3.40)
Chirinos allowed two runs and four hits over seven innings while defeating Baltimore in his last start for his first win since June 7. The 25-year-old Venezuelan is 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA in four appearances (two starts) against the Yankees this season, limiting the club to a .228 batting average. Chirinos is 4-2 with a 3.12 ERA in nine road games (six starts) this year.
German has won both of his starts since returning from the injured list, giving up one run and eight hits while registering 13 strikeouts without a walk in 12 innings. The 26-year-old Dominican defeated the Rays on May 10, when he allowed three runs and five hits over five frames, and is 2-0 with a 6.75 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) versus the club. German has been superb at Yankee Stadium this season, going 5-1 with a 1.98 ERA in seven contests (six starts).
WALK-OFFS
1. Yankees INF DJ LeMahieu has hit four homers against the Rays this season, including one on Tuesday.
2. Rays LF Tommy Pham has struck out 21 times in 63 at-bats versus the Yankees this year after fanning on four occasions in Tuesday's contest.
3. New York acquired OF Terrance Gore - a pinch-running specialist - from Kansas City for cash considerations and optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.