Rays at Yankees
The Tampa Bay Rays put their early success to the test with a challenging seven-game road trip that starts with the first of three against the New York Yankees in their home opener Monday. The Rays took two of three from the Yankees to open the season and three of four from Toronto after Sunday’s 7-2 triumph that was highlighted by a three-run homer from red-hot Steven Souza Jr.
Souza is 10-for-24 with six RBIs and four others are batting at least .296 as Tampa Bay jumped to a franchise-best 5-2 start. “There are some teams that are built to win that can have a guy or two carry them. We’re not built that way,” Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters. “We need all 25 to come into our winning performances, and that’s exactly what we’ve seen basically over the entire homestand.” The Yankees rallied with five runs in the final two innings to earn a 7-3 victory at Baltimore on Sunday to end a three-game slide and take some positives home with them. New York won’t have slugger Gary Sanchez (strained right biceps), but shortstop Ronald Torreyes has been the most productive hitter with seven RBIs in the first six contests.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Alex Cobb (1-0, 1.59 ERA) vs. Michael Pineda (0-1, 9.82)
Cobb won his 2017 debut with a solid 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits and one walk with four strikeouts against the Yankees after missing most of the previous two years following Tommy John surgery. The 29-year-old Boston native won double-digit games three straight seasons from 2012-14 before suffering the injury and made five starts since - all late in 2016. Jacoby Ellsbury homered twice versus Cobb, who is 6-3 with a 2.82 ERA against the Yankees.
Pineda did not show improvement in his season opener while allowing four runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and no walks over 3 2/3 innings in a loss to Tampa Bay. The 28-year-old Dominican boasts 601 strikeouts and only 136 walks in his career over 587 1/3 innings, but managed only 32 victories in 70 decisions. Corey Dickerson (8-for-14, two homers) and Souza (10-for-21, four) have caused problems for Pineda, who is 2-5 with a 4.65 ERA all-time against the Rays.
WALK-OFFS
1. New York 1B Greg Bird (illness, bruised foot), 1-for-16 in the early going, could play Monday after missing the last two games.
2. Dickerson has hit safely in his last five contests with two homers and four RBIs in that span.
3. Yankees RF Aaron Judge registered his first two-hit game and belted his first homer of the season Sunday.