When the Tampa Bay Rays made their first trip to Yankee Stadium two weeks ago, they were just starting to roll.
Now they are on a full-blown surge and will attempt to get their sixth straight win and widen their lead in the AL East on Monday night when they visit the New York Yankees for the opener of an important three-game series.
The Rays lead the season series 6-1. They took three of four at home Aug. 7-9 and then completed their first sweep in New York since 2014 on Aug. 18-20.
Tampa Bay entered its first series with the Yankees holding a 5-7 record and trailing in the division.