Rays at Yankees
The Tampa Bay Rays will be just fine if they can figure out a way to retire Didi Gregorius. The New York Yankees' shortstop will try to follow up a two-homer, eight-RBI performance and lead his team to a sweep of the weather-abbreviated two-game series when they host the Rays in the finale on Wednesday.
Gregorius broke a third-inning tie with a three-run blast on Tuesday and added another three-run homer in the seventh before capping his career-best RBI performance with a two-run single in the eighth. The 28-year-old was hitting in the No. 4 spot in the lineup and picked up reigning National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton, who went 0-for-5 with five strikeouts out of the No. 3 spot and is 1-for-14 in four games since blasting a pair of home runs in the season opener. The Rays, who totaled three runs in dropping three in a row to the Boston Red Sox before heading to New York, continue to struggle on offense and managed only seven hits in frigid conditions against the Yankees. Tampa Bay will try to become the rare offense to have success against New York ace Luis Severino, who opposes left-hander Blake Snell in the finale.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays LH Blake Snell (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Luis Severino (1-0, 0.00)
Snell matched Boston ace Chris Sale zero for zero on Opening Day and ended up scattering three hits and two walks while striking out a pair in 5 2/3 scoreless innings. The 25-year-old allowed two or fewer runs in six of his final eight starts last season. Snell faced New York four times in 2017 and compiled a 0-1 record with a 4.50 ERA, 11 walks and 11 strikeouts in 16 total innings.
Severino enjoyed a scoreless start on Opening Day as well, striking out seven while surrendering one hit and three walks in 5 2/3 innings at Toronto. The 24-year-old finished third in the American League Cy Young Award voting last season and racked up 230 strikeouts in 193 1/3 innings. Severino had no trouble with the Tampa Bay lineup in 2017, going 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA in three starts while striking out 27 in 18 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Yankees acquired OF Trayce Thompson off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
2. Tampa Bay CF Kevin Kiermaier is 1-for-19 with seven strikeouts.
3. New York OF Jacoby Ellsbury suffered a hip injury while rehabbing a strained oblique and was shut down.