Cortes Jr. expected to start as New York hosts Tampa Bay

Updated Oct. 1, 2021 3:20 a.m. ET

Associated Press

Tampa Bay Rays (98-61, first in the AL East) vs. New York Yankees (91-68, second in the AL East)

New York; Friday, 7:05 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Rays: Shane McClanahan (10-6, 3.37 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 138 strikeouts) Yankees: Nestor Cortes Jr. (2-2, 2.85 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 98 strikeouts)

LINE: Yankees -120, Rays +100; over/under is 9 runs

BOTTOM LINE: New York and Tampa Bay will meet on Friday.

The Yankees are 45-33 on their home turf. New York hitters have posted a team on-base percentage of .322 this season, led by Aaron Judge with a mark of .367.

The Rays are 46-32 in road games. The Tampa Bay offense has compiled a .241 batting average as a team this season, Randy Arozarena leads the team with a mark of .273.

The Rays won the last meeting 14-0. Luis Patino recorded his second victory and Austin Meadows went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs for Tampa Bay. Gerrit Cole took his sixth loss for New York.

TOP PERFORMERS: Judge leads the Yankees with 39 home runs and is batting .282.

Brandon Lowe leads the Rays with 36 home runs and has 92 RBIs.

LAST 10 GAMES: Yankees: 8-2, .261 batting average, 3.44 ERA, outscored opponents by 19 runs

Rays: 6-4, .256 batting average, 2.34 ERA, outscored opponents by 22 runs

INJURIES: Yankees: Jameson Taillon: (ankle), Darren O'Day: (hamstring), Yoendrys Gomez: (covid-19), Zack Britton: (elbow), Tim Locastro: (knee), Aaron Hicks: (wrist), Joey Gallo: (forearm), Clint Frazier: (vertigo), Miguel Andujar: (wrist), Luke Voit: (knee), DJ LeMahieu: (hip).

Rays: Ryan Thompson: (shoulder), Jeffrey Springs: (knee), Chaz Roe: (shoulder), Cody Reed: (thumb), Colin Poche: (elbow), DJ Johnson: (shoulder), Tyler Glasnow: (elbow), Oliver Drake: (forearm), Adam Conley: (covid-19), Yonny Chirinos: (elbow), Jalen Beeks: (elbow), Chris Archer: (hip), Nick Anderson: (back), Yandy Diaz: (ribs).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.