Sonny Gray To Start The Finale As New York Is Going For The Sweep Of Tampa Bay
New York has secured their spot in the postseason, won the series over Tampa Bay taking two out of three and now there is only one thing left to do sweep Tampa Bay at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees still have a chance to unseat the Red Sox at the top of the American League East, which adds significance to Thursday night's Rays-Yankees contest at Yankee Stadium. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170927256327906/gray-can-help-yanks-al-east-pursuit-progress/?game_pk=492483
The Yankees have four games remaining on their 2017 schedule, and every one of them will matter if they are to overtake the Red Sox, who have a three-game lead in the division heading into their four-game series with the Astros. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170927256327906/gray-can-help-yanks-al-east-pursuit-progress/?game_pk=492483
Yankees manager Joe Girardi stated the obvious when he said that his team's main goal is to win the division, not play in the AL Wild Card Game. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170927256327906/gray-can-help-yanks-al-east-pursuit-progress/?game_pk=492483
"I don't think anyone wants to be in a one-game shootout," Girardi said. "I just think that there are so many little things that could come up that could cost you a game in a one-game shootout. So your goal is to win." "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170927256327906/gray-can-help-yanks-al-east-pursuit-progress/?game_pk=492483
Rays manager Kevin Cash understands the significance of playing against a contending team even when his team has been eliminated. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170927256327906/gray-can-help-yanks-al-east-pursuit-progress/?game_pk=492483
"We want to go out and win games," Cash said. "There's no doubt we take a lot of pride in going out to play good baseball and win games. ... We're not going to just change our entire lineup, that's for sure. We've also got guys that we feel can go in, play off our bench and help us win. So there won't be anything drastic. And we're always going to play the game the right way." "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170927256327906/gray-can-help-yanks-al-east-pursuit-progress/?game_pk=492483
Sonny Gray (10-11, 3.31 ERA) will start for the Yankees. He pitched well against the Rays the last time they faced him on Sept. 12 at Tropicana Field. Despite holding the Rays to two runs on five hits in eight innings, Gray took the loss. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170927256327906/gray-can-help-yanks-al-east-pursuit-progress/?game_pk=492483
Jake Faria (5-4, 3.33) will start for the Rays, making his first start since Aug. 16 at Toronto. The right-hander was on the disabled list from Aug. 20-Sept. 14 (left abdominal strain) and has made two appearances out of the bullpen since being reinstated. He hopes to finish the season strong. "according to tohttp://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170927256327906/gray-can-help-yanks-al-east-pursuit-progress/?game_pk=492483
"It's huge to make a statement going into next year," Faria said. "You want to finish strong. Even though technically we're out of it, you still want to win [the remaining games], want to just play good baseball. So, make a big statement going into next year as a team, and personally, too." "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170927256327906/gray-can-help-yanks-al-east-pursuit-progress/?game_pk=492483
Faria's last win came on July 25 at Baltimore. Since then, he's gone 0-3 with a 4.78 ERA in six appearances. In comparison, through his first nine appearances, he was 5-1 with a 2.67 ERA. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170927256327906/gray-can-help-yanks-al-east-pursuit-progress/?game_pk=492483
Gray is 4-6 with a 3.12 ERA in 10 starts since the Yankees acquired him on July 31. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170927256327906/gray-can-help-yanks-al-east-pursuit-progress/?game_pk=492483
Opponents have gone just 9-for-70 (.129) this season against Faria's splitter/changeup, with two extra-base hits (both doubles), 34 strikeouts and a .157 slugging percentage, while missing on about 47 percent of their swings. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170927256327906/gray-can-help-yanks-al-east-pursuit-progress/?game_pk=492483
As for Tampa Bay and New York's last game, New York beat Tampa Bay,
The New York offense is getting hot at the right time as they're keeping pace in the division heading into the postseason.
Luis Severino was stellar in his outing against Tampa Bay Wednesday where they took the series and had some run support to back it up.
Luis Severino's confidence bounced back with a sharp tuneup as he prepares for the first postseason start of his career, backed by homers off the bats of Starlin Castro, Greg Bird and Aaron Hicks as the Yankees defeated the Rays, 6-1, on Wednesday evening at Yankee Stadium." according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/256328150/yankees-beat-rays-stay-in-range-in-al-east/
The Yankees (89-69) improved to a season-high 20 games over .500, though they remain three games behind the Red Sox -- who beat Toronto on Wednesday -- in the American League East. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/256328150/yankees-beat-rays-stay-in-range-in-al-east/
"We have to play our season and not worry about Boston," Severino said. "We are in the Wild Card and you have the opportunity to go to the playoffs. We're hitting good, we're playing good. We're winning." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/256328150/yankees-beat-rays-stay-in-range-in-al-east/
The Yankees and Rays have one more game left in their series, Thursday at Yankee Stadium, before New York hosts the Blue Jays starting Friday for the final three games of the regular season. The Red Sox finish up their regular season with a four-game series against AL West-champion Houston at Fenway Park, beginning Thursday. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/256328150/yankees-beat-rays-stay-in-range-in-al-east/
"I think our team is a lot different than we were coming out of the [All-Star] break," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We had a number of players injured and we just weren't very healthy. We kept it together, but I think it's one of the reasons we've played so well in the last six weeks because we've been so healthy." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/256328150/yankees-beat-rays-stay-in-range-in-al-east/
Now lined up to start a potential AL Wild Card Game, Severino struck out nine while holding the Rays to four hits and a walk over six innings, leading the Yankees to their 11th win in 12 home games. The right-hander will complete his regular season holding a 14-6 record and a 2.98 ERA in 31 starts, striking out 230 batters in 193 1/3 innings. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/256328150/yankees-beat-rays-stay-in-range-in-al-east/
"He throws 100 [mph]," said the Rays' Steven Souza Jr. "Any time a starter can do that, that's pretty impressive. But he can throw his slider for a strike and bury it. He can throw it when he's ahead; when he's behind, he can pump it in there 100. To be able to throw two pitches like that consistently around the zone makes it really tough." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/256328150/yankees-beat-rays-stay-in-range-in-al-east/
Adeiny Hechavarria's fifth-inning homer accounted for the only scoring off Severino, who threw 66 of 91 pitches for strikes. After Aaron Judge raked a two-run double in the fifth inning, Castro and Bird hit back-to-back shots and Hicks added a two-run blast as the Yankees batted around in the sixth, chasing Tampa Bay starter Matt Andriese. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/256328150/yankees-beat-rays-stay-in-range-in-al-east/
"We can just win. That's all we can do," Bird said. "I feel like we've done a good job with that. That's what we focus on, playing our game and getting our work in, and we'll see what happens." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/256328150/yankees-beat-rays-stay-in-range-in-al-east/
: Andriese had limited the Yankees to a pair of hits through four innings, protecting a one-run lead as he returned to the mound for the fifth. Jacoby Ellsbury walked and Hicks smashed a single that deflected off second baseman Brad Miller's glove. One out later, with Hicks running, Judge mashed an 81.4-mph curveball down the left-field line that gave the Yankees a lead they would not relinquish. Judge has reached base in 22 straight games. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/256328150/yankees-beat-rays-stay-in-range-in-al-east/
"Leadoff walks, we talk about them a lot, " Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "They come back and get you, and they got us. Probably the wrong guy to come up there, Aaron Judge, with two guys on base. Capitalizing on it." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/256328150/yankees-beat-rays-stay-in-range-in-al-east/
Castro sent Andriese to the showers with his second homer in as many games, a solo blast to left field opening the sixth inning that marked his 16th of the year. The Rays called upon Xavier Cedeno, and Bird greeted the left-hander with a drive into the right-field seats, Bird's eighth homer of his injury-shortened season. It was the 10th time this year that the Yankees have hit back-to-back home runs. according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/256328150/yankees-beat-rays-stay-in-range-in-al-east/
"I feel pretty good at the plate," Castro said. "The most important thing is, I feel really healthy, I feel really strong. I'm just trying to finish the season strong." according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/256328150/yankees-beat-rays-stay-in-range-in-al-east/
With nine strikeouts, Severino moved into a tie with CC Sabathia for the third-most strikeouts in a single season by a Yankees pitcher (230). Sabathia reached that mark in 2011. The only Yankees hurlers with more were Ron Guidry, who fanned 248 in his 1978 AL Cy Young Award season, and Jack Chesbro, who struck out 239 while hurling a Major League-leading 454 2/3 innings in 1904. according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/256328150/yankees-beat-rays-stay-in-range-in-al-east/
"It means I'm doing great," Severino said, with a smile. "I'm mixing my pitches and commanding my fastball, and my breaking pitches, too." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/256328150/yankees-beat-rays-stay-in-range-in-al-east/
With the win, New York improved to 89-69 on the season and is now just 3.0 games back of Boston who is leading the division with a record of 92-66 with their win over Toronto by a score of 10-6 Wednesday.
Right-hander Jake Faria will get the start for Tampa Bay. He has a record of 5-4 with a 3.33 earn run average. Faria will start the finale in place of Alex Cobb who the Rays decided to scratch after being eliminated from playoff contention on Tuesday. Faria is 0-3 with a 4.43 earn run average in his last five appearances ( three starts). He will oppose New York right-hander Sonny Gray who has a record of 10-11 with a 3.31 earn run average. The Yankees acquired Gray to help them get to the postseason. and give them another talented veteran once they got there. He brings a 3.12 earn run average over 10 starts with New York into his final tuneup for a potential October start. "according to https://www.mlb.com/gameday/rays-vs-yankees/2017/09/28/492483#game_state=preview,game_tab=,game=492483
Since Sonny Gray became a Yankee on July 31st, In each of his starts the offense has had difficulty scoring runs when he starts, Will New York be able to get their offense going in the finale and backup Sonny Gray's start? Will New York gain more ground in the American League East? Will Tampa who is out of playoff contention be able to get their offense going against Sonny Gray and win the finale?
First pitch is set for 7:05 pm. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Sun and Yes. "according to https://www.mlb.com/gameday/rays-vs-yankees/2017/09/28/492483#game_state=preview,game_tab=,game=492483