The Yankees will play a 3-game series at Tropicana Field against the Rays
After having an off day on Monday following their series loss to the Red Sox, the Yankees will begin a three-game series in Florida at Tropicana Field against the Tampa Bay Rays tonight. They only have six more games left before the All-Star break.
The Yankees need to win this series against Tampa Bay since they are winless in their last seven series and going back to the end of their Kansas City Royals series, before the seven series stretch began, they have gone a not good 6–16 in their previous 22 games. The Yankees have the worst record in MLB in their last 22 games after having the best record in MLB before this 22-game stretch of games began.
One positive is that the Yankees have won both of their series against the Rays this season and have gone 4–2 in those six games. They have played one series in the Bronx against the Rays and one series previously at Tropicana Field so far this season.
The only future series this season that they will play Tampa Bay after this series that starts tonight will be a four-game series right after the All-Star break at Yankee Stadium. This means that the series after the All-Star break will conclude four consecutive series against AL East competition for the Yankees. So far this season the Yankees are 4–2 against Tampa Bay but just 9–14 against the rest of the three teams in the division.
The Orioles have a 3-game lead of the Yankees going into this series that start’s tonight at Tropicana Field. On June 12, before this 6–16 stretch began, the Yankees had a 2.5 game lead over the Orioles in the AL East. Going into this series, the Tampa Bay Rays have lost four of their last five games but going back to June 19 they have gone 10–7.
The Rays, who have been known for their good pitching in recent years, have not pitched well this season. They have the 13th worst ERA out of the 15 teams in the AL, they have the second fewest quality starts out of the 15 teams in the AL, they are 13th out of 15 teams in the AL in opponent batting average and the Blue Jays are the only team in the AL who has allowed more homers than the Rays have.
On the other hand, the Yankees the third best ERA in the AL, they are tied for sixth in quality starts and are only three away from being third, they have the second best opponent batting average in the league and they have the fifth best WHIP in the league.
