Preview: Rays looking for bats to wake up in 2nd game against Yankees

Published Jun. 18, 2019 10:28 p.m. ET

TV: FOX Sports Sun

TIME: Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 p.m.

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Tampa Bay Rays (43-29, second in the AL East) vs. New York Yankees (44-27, first in the AL East)

PITCHING PROBABLES

Rays: Ryne Stanek (0-1, 2.46 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 43 strikeouts)

Yankees: J.A. Happ (6-3, 4.66 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 61 strikeouts)

BOTTOM LINE

New York heads into the matchup after a dominant performance by Masahiro Tanaka. Tanaka pitched nine innings, surrendering zero runs on two hits with 10 strikeouts against Tampa Bay.

The Yankees are 20-7 against opponents from the AL East. New York has hit 113 home runs this season, sixth in the league. Edwin Encarnacion leads the club with 21, averaging one every 11.7 at-bats.

The Rays are 23-11 on the road. The Tampa Bay offense has compiled a .261 batting average as a team this season, good for eighth in the American League. Austin Meadows leads the team with an average of .314. The Yankees won the last meeting 3-0. Masahiro Tanaka earned his fifth victory and Cameron Maybin went 3-for-3 with a home run and an RBI for New York. Yonny Chirinos registered his third loss for Tampa Bay.

TOP PERFORMERS

DJ LeMahieu leads the Yankees with 84 hits and has 43 RBIs. Brett Gardner is 9-for-32 with a triple, three home runs and 10 RBIs over the last 10 games for New York.

Brandon Lowe leads the Rays with 44 RBIs and is batting .289. Yandy Diaz is 16-for-37 with three doubles, two home runs and eight RBIs over the last 10 games for Tampa Bay.

LAST 10 GAMES

Yankees: 5-5, .265 batting average, 5.38 ERA

Rays: 4-6, .249 batting average, 3.68 ERA, outscored by one run

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), Domingo German: 10-day IL (hip), Dellin Betances: 60-day IL (shoulder), Jake Barrett: 60-day IL (elbow), Aaron Judge: 10-day IL (oblique), Jacoby Ellsbury: 60-day IL (hip), Troy Tulowitzki: 60-day IL (calf), Kendrys Morales: 10-day IL (calf), Greg Bird: 60-day IL (foot), Miguel Andujar: 60-day IL (labrum), Giancarlo Stanton: 10-day IL (bicep).

Rays Injuries: Tyler Glasnow: 60-day IL (forearm), Jose De Leon: 60-day IL (elbow), Anthony Banda: 60-day IL (elbow), Guillermo Heredia: day-to-day (hand), Matt Duffy: 60-day IL (back), Christian Arroyo: 10-day IL (forearm), Anthony Bemboom: 10-day IL (knee).