Advertisement

Rays-Yankees preview

 
Published April 17, 2014

.UP NEXT

vs. Yankees

Tonight-Sunday

What's new: Not that they'll get any sympathy from the Rays, but the Yankees — who played a day-night doubleheader vs. the Cubs on Wednesday — are banged up, with 1B Mark Teixeira, closer Dave Robertson and backup INF Brendan Ryan and C Francisco Cervelli all placed on the DL since opening day. SS Derek Jeter (had you heard he's retiring after this season?) has missed a couple of games with quad issues but was expected to return Wednesday night. The Yankees spent heavily in the offseason to get back into the playoff race, adding C Brian McCann, OFs Carlos Beltran and Jacoby Ellsbury and Japanese import Masahiro Tanaka, who bolsters their rotation.

Key stat: The Yankees are 6-16 in their past 22 games at the Trop and haven't won a season series vs. Rays since 2009.

Connections: Yankees INF Kelly Johnson was a Ray last year, LHP Cesar Cabral a former Rule 5 pick, pitching coach Larry Rothschild the first Devil Rays manager. Rays C Jose Molina is a former Yankee.

Series history: Yankees lead 165-110 overall, 75-63 at Trop, though Rays are 18-9 at home past three seasons.

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer