Rays at Yankees
The New York Yankees are finding ways to win games again and could climb into first place in the American League East Friday night when they host the Tampa Bay Rays for the second of an important four-game set. Brett Gardner tripled and scored the tying run in the ninth inning and drilled a walk-off homer in the 11th as New York rallied for a 6-5 triumph Thursday to extend its winning streak to four.
The Yankees went 7-19 from mid-June to mid-July and seemed to be fading in their quest for a playoff spot, but have won 9 of their last 13 to pull within one-half game of first-place Boston, which starts a series against red-hot Kansas City on Friday. Didi Gregorius and Gardner take nine-game hitting streaks into Friday’s contest when New York hands the ball to Masahiro Tanaka, who was 6-0 versus the Rays coming into this season but is 0-2 with a 20.65 ERA against them in 2017. Tampa Bay looked to have taken the series opener, but a Gary Sanchez ground ball inexplicably found a hole with two outs in the ninth as the Rays lost for the sixth time in eight contests to fall three games out in the AL East. Evan Longoria homered among two hits for Tampa Bay on Thursday to extend his hitting streak to six games (10-for-25).
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Austin Pruitt (5-1, 6.25 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (7-9, 5.37)
Pruitt is slated to make a spot start, subbing for injured Jake Odorizzi, after being recalled from Triple-A Durham. The 27-year-old Texas native pitched three scoreless innings in his only other major league start April 25 at Baltimore when he allowed one hit, one walk and struck out three as the Rays earned a 2-0 victory. Pruitt faced the Yankees three times in relief in April, permitting five runs (three earned) and eight hits over 1 2/3 innings.
Tanaka is winless in his last three outings while yielding 12 runs, 18 hits and striking out 15 as opposed to zero walks. The 28-year-old Japan native continues to struggle with the home run ball as he surrendered five blasts in the past three outings and a career-high 26 overall - one more than in 2015. Corey Dickerson is 8-for-18 with three homers and six RBI against Tanaka, who owns a 4.50 ERA in 10 career games versus the Rays.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Rays acquired 1B Lucas Duda from the New York Mets and LHP Dan Jennings from the Chicago White Sox in a pair of deals Thursday.
2. New York INF Chase Headley notched multiple hits in four of his last seven games and has hit safely in four straight contests (7-for-15).
3. Longoria has the most homers (35) and RBIs (104) against the Yankees among all active players in the majors.