New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays matchup rained-out - MLB Update
The second outing of the three-game series between New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays has been postponed due to heavy rain at Yankee Stadium in New York on Friday, July 8.
After winning the first fixture with 5-1 big margin, the Tampa Bay Rays is leading the series 1-0. As soon as the umpires declared postponement, the Yankees presented a double-header option on Saturday but the Rays rejected it. Now the game will be played
on September 22, a mutual off day.
The Rays’ designated hitter, Evan Longoria, who touched two hits for one RBI in last game, explained his opinion about the Yankees proposal.
"I don't think there's really a win. I think we all know why they would like to get these three games in and obviously, they are rooting for Derek to get his 3,000th hit here in this series. I mean, we would like to see him do it, too. And he's got two more
days to do it."
Being a New York native, Derek Jeter, who is shy two runs of 3000 career hits, wanted to make history in front of his huge number of fans and friends in one of the World’s most crowded cities. A 12-time All-Star player and this time again fans elected him
to start the All-Star game at the short-stop position but Jeter still has not decided.
"It's probably best not to push it because it's most important to be ready for the second half. That's where my focus has to be," Jeter said. "It's unfortunate because you know how much I enjoy going to All-Star games."
In this game, the Rays’ had scheduled their best starter Jeremy Hellickson, who until now has snatched eight games in this season. Hellickson was sure to get his win as he was facing the Yankees’ relatively weak starter, Freddy Garcia. Jeremy has an 8-7
record with a 3.21 ERA in 16 starts. Until now, he has 68 strike-outs, over 103.2 innings with 1.15 WHIP.
His rival, Garcia has a 7-6 record with a 3.13 ERA in 15 starts. Until now, he has made 57 strike-outs over 92 innings. Garcia also has lost his previous outing against the New York Mets.
Despite what some experts believe, the Yankees have little chances to grab the game because of the injuries to their main players including Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher. However, statistics show the Yankees have an edge over the opposition. Having 51
wins this season create some edge for the Yankees while the Rays also has 49 wins but their overall record against the Yankees is not as good.
However, the series now will be decided by the rubber game of the series, as the fans will not wait until September 22, to know about their champions.
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