Rays at Yankees
Yankee Stadium continues to be a house of horrors for the Tampa Bay Rays, who will attempt to avoid a four-game sweep when they visit the New York Yankees on Sunday in the series finale. The slumping Rays have managed to score only four runs in the first three games of the series and have dropped 28 of their last 36 games in the Bronx.
Veteran left-hander CC Sabathia will look to continue a stellar string of pitching for New York, which boasts a major league-best 2.08 ERA while going 13-3 over the last 16 games. Although catcher Gary Sanchez is in a 5-for-58 rut, he is showing signs of emerging from the slumber, clubbing a three-run double in Friday's win before belting a solo homer in Saturday's 4-1 victory. Tampa Bay's only run Saturday came on a solo homer by Matt Duffy in the ninth, ending a scoreless drought of 20 innings. The Rays will try to salvage the series finale behind their bullpen, with right-hander Wilmer Font -- on his third team this season -- designated to make the start.
TV: 2:05 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Wilmer Font (0-3, 8.48 ERA) vs. Yankees LH CC Sabathia (4-1, 3.27)
Font is coming off his second-longest outing of the season, tossing 3 1/3 scoreless innings against Toronto last time out. Austin Pruitt, scheduled to pitch second on Sunday, worked in relief Saturday so the Rays will be hoping that Font can give them some innings. After posting ERAs above 11 in stints with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland this year, he has a 2.31 ERA in six appearances with Tampa Bay.
Sabathia appears back on track after a rocky four-start stretch, winning back-to-back outings by blanking the Washington Nationals on four hits over 5 2/3 innings on Tuesday. The 37-year-old pitched seven innings of two-run ball at Toronto on June 5 after allowing 20 runs in his previous four turns. Sabathia has made seven starts at Yankee Stadium this season, posting a 2-0 mark and 2.57 ERA.
WALK-OFFS
1. Yankees RF Aaron Judge has gone 2-for-4 in each of the first three games of the series.
2. The Rays placed 3B Christian Arroyo (oblique strain) on the disabled list and will recall SS Adeiny Hechavarria from his rehab assignment.
3. New York is 10-0 when Sanchez homers and 22-0 at home when allowing four runs or fewer.