Yankees Out To Squash Rays' Slim Shot At AL East
NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) -- With the attention focused on the Tampa Bay Rays cutting into Boston's AL wild-card lead, it may be forgotten they have a slim chance to catch the East-leading Yankees, too.
Tampa Bay and the Bombers play seven of their final 10 games against each other, beginning with the opener of a four-game set Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.
The Rays (85-67) trailed Boston by nine games and the Yankees by 9 1/2 on Sept. 2, but they've trimmed those deficits by winning 11 of 15. They took three of four at Fenway Park over the weekend, capped by an 8-5 win Sunday with the help of three RBIs from Matt Joyce.
Though Tampa Bay's two-game wild-card deficit is more manageable, it trails New York (92-60) by seven and is still in contention to win a third division title.
No team at least nine games out of a playoff spot through Sept. 2 has ever reached the postseason.
"We know what we have to do," pitcher Wade Davis told the Rays' official website. "Nobody expected us to be in this position. I think we understand that. Once you start pressing, it gets tough. I think the fact we've been able to remain comfortable and relaxed and we're having fun, it helps us play better."
The Yankees' magic number for a playoff berth is at four. Their magic number to clinch the the AL East is five.
Davis (10-9, 4.41 ERA) helped begin the Rays' current run with a victory over Baltimore on Sept. 3, and he'll take the mound in the opener looking to stay hot against the Yankees.
The right-hander is 2-0 with a 2.40 ERA in his last three outings versus New York, but he's yet to face the division rival this season. Mark Teixeira is 1 for 10 lifetime off Davis.
"I've always had a decent feel for them," Davis said. "I mean, I know they're good, so you have to show up. They're going to work the count and hit mistakes. So if you can limit both of those and minimize the walks, you have a better chance."
Davis beat Boston 7-2 while throwing his first complete game in nearly two years Sept. 9. He's coming off a rough outing, though, falling 6-2 to Baltimore on Wednesday after allowing four runs and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings.
He'll look to help even the season series at six games apiece against a New York team which had lost three of four prior to Monday's 6-4 win over Minnesota, which began an eight-game homestand.
"We have time for guys to step up and get it right and get on a roll," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi.
Curtis Granderson hit his 41st homer and Derek Jeter had three hits before Mariano Rivera recorded his major league-record 602nd save with a perfect ninth.
Following this series the Yankees host second-place Boston for three games, possibly with an opportunity to clinch the East.
"There's a lot of really good things that could happen for our club," Girardi told the Yankees' official website. "We have an opportunity to accomplish what we set out to at the beginning of the year, the first step of it. This week could be very telling."
Ivan Nova (15-4, 3.81) looks to help get New York one step closer to the postseason.
Nova hasn't lost since June 3, going 11-0 with a 3.35 ERA in 14 starts. The Yankees, though, couldn't take advantage of one of his better outings during that stretch Wednesday, when they lost 2-1 in 12 innings to Seattle after Nova allowed one run and five hits through 7 1-3 innings.
The right-hander gave up one run in 5 1-3 innings of a 6-2 win over Tampa Bay on May 17, though he has a 5.17 ERA in three career starts versus the Rays.
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