Gameday Preview: Rays Try To Snap Out of Funk Against Yankees' Nestor Cortes
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays, fresh off being no-hit for seven-plus innings on Monday, try to get back on track on Tuesday but they get another huge challenge in dealing with New York Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes.
The left-hander is 6-2 on the season with a 1.94 earned run average, which ranks second in the American League behind Tampa Bay's Shane McClanahan. He beat the Rays on May 26 at Tropicana Field, and then again last Thursday in New York, allowing just one earned run in both starts.
The Rays have lost four straight games to the Yankees in the past week, and are 2-8 overall in their last 10. They will counter with a bullpen day of their own, with Jalen Beeks getting the start. Tuesday would have been Drew Rasmussen's night to pitch, but he's missing his second start because of hamstring tightness.
Beeks has been very good this season for the Rays in limited duty. He is 1-1 with a 1.29 ERA, allowing just four earned runs in 28 innings thus far. He was the opener last Thursday in New York, pitching two perfect innings in the 2-1 loss to the Yankees.
The Rays weighed bring up a starter from Durham, too, but made the decision to just go with Beeks and the bullpen day on Tuesday morning.
"After Shane's (six-inning) performance, we just felt like we were in a good enough spot (in the bullpen),'' Cash said. "Everyone last night just pitched one inning, so they should all be good to go today.'' Ryan Thompson, Calvin Faucher and Jason Adam all pitched Monday
Here's how to watch Tuesday night's game, with TV information and starting lineups and more:
How to watch Yankees at Rays
- Who: New York Yankees (50-17) at Tampa Bay Rays (36-31)
- When: 7:05 p.m. ET, Tuesday, June 21
- Where: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Fla.
- TV: Bally Sports Sun
- Stream: Fubo.tv CLICK HERE
- Announcers: Dewayne Staats (play-by-play), Brian Anderson (color commentary) and Ryan Bass (reporter).
- Radio: WDAE 95.3 FM, SiriusXM Channel 180
- Announcers: Andy Freed and Dave Wills.
- Latest line: The Yankee are favored at minus-162 on the money line according to the Fanduel.com website opening line as of Monday afternoon. The Rays are plus-135. The over/under is 7.
Projected lineups
- Yankees lineup: DJ LeMahieu 2B, Josh Donaldson 3B, Anthony Rizzo 1B, Giancarlo Stanton DH, Gleyber Torres SS, Aaron Hicks CF, Kyle Higashioka C, Marwin Gonzalez LF, Joey Gallo RF, Nelson Cortes P.
- Rays lineup: Yandy Diaz 3B, Isaac Paredes 1B, Harold Ramirez 1B, Randy Arozarena LF, Francisco Mejia C, Josh Lowe RF, Vidal Brujan 2B, Taylor Walls SS, Brett Phillips CF, Jalen Beeks P.
Newsy nuggets
- No. 1 — Rays and openers: The Rays invented the ''opener'' concept, and they're rolling it out again on Tuesday night. It's the ninth time they've doe it this season, and they're 5-3 thus far. Jalen Beeks has been the opener twice, and he's pitched two scoreless innings in both outings.
- No. 2 — Series losses: If the Rays lose Tuesday night, they will lose their fourth straight series. That hasn't happened since Aug. 4-20 in 2017.
- No. 3 — Unearned runs still an issue: The Rays gave up another unearned run last night on Ji-Man Choi's error in the seventh inning. That's now 45 on the season, second-worst in baseball behind only the Chicago White Sox (46). Isaac Paredes is starting at first base on Tuesday night for the first time with the Rays.
- No. 4 — Red hot Yankees: The Yankees have 50 wins already in just 67 games, the third-fast team EVER to 50. They've been on fire lately. They are 10-1 in their last 11 games, 17-2 in their last 19 games and 31-9 in their last 40. They Rays are 2-6 so far this season agains the Yankees.
