After earning a split with a rare one-run getaway day victory on Sunday, the Tampa Bay Rays head off to The Big Apple for yet another series with the Yankees that will determine first place in the AL East. It’s only mid-June, and it feels like we’ve already had a half dozen of these series.
On Monday, the Rays will send out Yonny Chirinos, Starting Pitcher (7-2, 2.88/4.08/4.08 ERA/FIP/xFIP, 1.0 fWAR) to face off with Masahiro Tanaka (4-5, 3.58/4.04/4.00, 1.8).
Tuesday will likely see the Rays pair an Opener and a Headliner (I know we’ve been using the word headliner, but I saw Eno Sarris use the term “yeoman” for that role recently and I loved it.