In the last of a three-game series between the New York Yankees (7-9) and the Tampa Bay Rays (7-10) at Yankee Stadium, Michael Pineda (1-1, 5.29 ERA) and Drew Smyly (0-2, 2.91 ERA) take the mound. The Yankees won the last game 3-2, and New York leads the series 2-0. The game gets underway at 1:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, Apr. 24 and will air on YES and SUN.
In his most recent outing, Pineda pitched 6.0 innings, allowing two runs, striking out seven and walking one in a 3-2 loss to the Athletics. Brett Gardner (.312, 8 Rs, 2 HRs, 4 RBIs, 3 SBs) continued his hot start yesterday, going 3 for 5 with one run, one home run, two RBIs, and one stolen base. The Rays were victorious the last time Smyly pitched. He pitched well, going 8.0 innings, allowing zero runs, striking out 11 and walking two in a 3-0 victory over the Red Sox. Corey Dickerson (.259, 5 Rs, 4 HRs, 7 RBIs) has been hitting the ball well for the Rays, going 3 for 4 yesterday with one RBI.
Oddsmakers have deemed this game an even matchup and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable at the moment. Against teams in the AL East, the Yankees have a SU record of 4-7. Over their past 10 games, New York’s offense has been playing lights out, averaging 0.0 runs per game, well over their season average of 0.0. The Yankees are a nightmare on the bases for opponents with an MLB-high 17 steals. New York’s pitching staff has put it all together in the past 10 games. Its average runs allowed per game dropped to 0.0 during that span, compared to its 0.0 season average. The Yankees are second in the AL in walks allowed with just 2.2 per game.
Against teams in their division, the Rays are 3-2 SU. Tampa Bay has been playing better lately, averaging 0.0 runs per game, more than their season average of 0.0. The last 10 games have really brought the best out of the Tampa Bay pitchers. They’ve allowed 0.0 runs per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 0.0.
So far this season, the Yankees are 2-0 against the Rays.
Predictions: SU Winner – NYY
Notes
In their last game, the Rays lost by a margin of one run. The Yankees are 3-2 in one-run games. The Rays have a 2-2 record in close games.
When leading after seven innings, Tampa Bay is 4-3, while New York is 5-4.
The Rays are coming off of a hot pitching game where they recorded nine strikeouts. The Yankees have a record of 2-3 when they are struck out that many times or more.
When they are outhit, the Yankees are 0-8. The Rays have a 1-7 record when opponents outhit them.
Tied at 13th for total home runs, New York and Tampa Bay have each hit 18 homers this season.
Ranking 27th, Tampa Bay is near the bottom of the league in hits, notching 7.24 per game. New York ranks in the bottom half at 16th with 8.19.
New York and Tampa Bay both rank near the bottom of the league for their on-base plus slugging percentage. New York sits at 22nd with an OPS of .704, and Tampa Bay ranks 27th with an OPS of .656.
The Rays are 4-9 when they allow at least one home run. The Yankees perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with a 3-6 record.
