Yankees at Rays
The New York Yankees continue to sink further out of first place in the American League East, but they at least get a break in the pitching matchup for Tuesday's middle contest of a three-game series at the Tampa Bay Rays. All-Star right-hander Blake Snell was scheduled to start the contest for the Rays but was placed on the 10-day disabled list Monday due to shoulder issues, setting up another bullpen day for the hosts.
Tampa Bay raced to a 7-3 lead after six innings in the series opener and then escaped a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the ninth thanks in part to a lack of hustle by Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez running out the last out of the 7-6 final. New York has dropped four of its last six to fall six games behind Boston in the division, its largest deficit since April 21. The Rays received a three-run homer from Jake Bauers on Monday, winning their fifth straight over the Yankees and improving to 16-3 at home since June 11. They will turn to right-hander Yonny Chirinos in place of Snell on Tuesday while New York gives the ball to Masahiro Tanaka.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, YES (New York), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (7-2, 4.54 ERA) vs. Rays RH Yonny Chirinos (0-1, 3.71)
Tanaka was scheduled to go Sunday at home against the New York Mets but a rainout prompted the Yankees to shuffle the rotation. He allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings in his last start July 15 in Cleveland, the 29-year-old's second outing since coming off the disabled list. Kevin Kiermaier is 7-for-15 with a home run against Tanaka, who has a 5.96 ERA in five career starts at Tropicana Field.
Chirinos opened the season with Tampa Bay and tossed 14 1/3 scoreless innings over his first three appearances (two starts). He then was lit up for 11 runs in 12 1/3 frames through his next three outings and was sent to Triple-A Durham, where he went 0-2 with a 5.28 ERA in eight starts. The 24-year-old is facing the Yankees for the first time.
WALK-OFFS
1. Yankees OF/DH Giancarlo Stanton was 4-for-4 on Monday and is batting .378 in July.
2. Tampa Bay INF Daniel Robertson is 4-for-5 with two homers and five RBIs over the last two games.
3. The Rays optioned LHP Adam Kolarek to Durham to make room for Chirinos.