McKay expected to start for Tampa Bay against New York
New York Yankees (56-29, first in the AL East) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (50-38, second in the AL East)
St. Petersburg, Florida; Friday, 7 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Yankees: Masahiro Tanaka (5-5, 3.74 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 85 strikeouts) Rays: Brendan McKay (1-0, .00 ERA, .33 WHIP, 3 strikeouts)
LINE: Yankees favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE:
The Rays are 17-16 against AL East opponents. The Tampa Bay offense has compiled a .254 batting average as a team this season, Austin Meadows leads the team with a mark of .288.
The Yankees are 28-7 against division opponents. New York has slugged .464, good for third in the American League. Gary Sanchez leads the club with a .574 slugging percentage, including 32 extra-base hits and 24 home runs. The Yankees won the last meeting 8-4. Aroldis Chapman earned his second victory and Sanchez went 1-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs for New York. Oliver Drake registered his first loss for Tampa Bay.
TOP PERFORMERS: Tommy Pham leads the Rays with 13 home runs and is slugging .465. Willy Adames is 10-for-36 with two doubles, three home runs and five RBIs over the last 10 games for Tampa Bay.
Edwin Encarnacion leads the Yankees with 25 home runs and has 56 RBIs. DJ LeMahieu is 22-for-44 with five doubles, two triples, three home runs and 15 RBIs over the last 10 games for New York.
LAST 10 GAMES: Rays: 5-5, .217 batting average, 4.13 ERA, outscored by three runs
Yankees: 8-2, .301 batting average, 6.00 ERA, outscored opponents by 15 runs
Rays Injuries: Tyler Glasnow: 60-day IL (forearm), Diego Castillo: 10-day IL (shoulder), Anthony Banda: 60-day IL (elbow), Kevin Kiermaier: day-to-day (wrist), Daniel Robertson: 10-day IL (knee), Brandon Lowe: 10-day IL (leg), Matt Duffy: 60-day IL (back), Ji-Man Choi: 10-day IL (ankle), Christian Arroyo: 10-day IL (forearm), Anthony Bemboom: 60-day IL (knee).
Yankees Injuries: Luis Severino: 60-day IL (shoulder), Jordan Montgomery: 60-day IL (elbow), Jonathan Loaisiga: 60-day IL (shoulder), Ben Heller: 60-day IL (elbow), Dellin Betances: 60-day IL (shoulder), Jake Barrett: 60-day IL (elbow), Giancarlo Stanton: 10-day IL (knee), Cameron Maybin: 10-day IL (calf), Jacoby Ellsbury: 60-day IL (hip), Luke Voit: 10-day IL (abdomen), Troy Tulowitzki: 60-day IL (calf), Greg Bird: 60-day IL (foot), Miguel Andujar: 60-day IL (labrum).
