Luis Severino Is Going For 15th Win Of The Season As New York Takes On Tampa Bay

Mother nature took over on Sunday so the  finale Of the Subway Series between the Yankees and Mets was rained out and will be made up on August 13th at Yankee Stadium. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/schedule/2018-07

For now it's on to St. Petersburg Florida where New York will take on Tampa Bay in dryer conditions since Tampa Bay plays in a dome at Tropicana Field. 

Luis Severino will be going for his fifteenth win of season as he starts the opener of the three -game series. The right -hander comes into the game against Tampa Bay with a record of 14-2 with a 2.31 earn run average. "according to http://m.mlb.com/player/622663/luis-severino The All-Star righty stumbled somewhat in his last two outings prior to the break, which the Yanks believe may have been a result of his workload. Severino's ERA rose from 1.98 to 2.31 as he permitted seven runs in 10 innings to the Jays and Indians."according to http://mlb.mlb.com/news/probable_pitchers/index.jsp?c_id=nyy He will oppose Tampa Bay right -hander Hunter Wood who comes into the game against New York with a record of 0-0 with a 2.70 earn run average. "according to http://m.mlb.com/player/621056/hunter-wood Wood has pitched to a 2.45 ERA and .184 opponents average in seven appearances since his recall, his first extended action in the Major Leagues. Right-handers are hitting just .192 against Wood, who will be making his second start for the Rays. "according to http://mlb.mlb.com/news/probable_pitchers/index.jsp?c_id=nyy

New York comes into the game with a record of 63-34 and is second in the American League East while Tampa Bay meanwhile comes into the game with a record of 50-49 and is in third place in the division. "according to http://www.espn.com/mlb/standings

As for New York's previous game, 

Since the Yankees, Mets finale was rained out I  have to go back to game two of the Subway Series that was played Saturday for their previous game where the Yankees evened up the series. 

It had been a while since Sonny Gray walked off the field to cheers in the Bronx, but on Saturday afternoon the 47,102 fans in attendance handed the Yankees' starter a loud ovation as he made his way from the rubber to the dugout after striking out Asdrubal Cabrera with two runners on to end the fifth inning. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/sonny-gray-sharper-in-yankees-win-over-mets/c-286679252

The right-hander came out to face three more batters in the sixth before ending his afternoon after 5 1/3 solid frames, permitting three runs (two earned) on three hits in the Yankees' 7-6 victory over the Mets at Yankee Stadium. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/sonny-gray-sharper-in-yankees-win-over-mets/c-286679252

In his first eight Yankee Stadium starts this season, the righty had accumulated an 8.25 ERA entering Saturday. Gray has now won consecutive starts for the first time since donning the pinstripes at the beginning of last August and said he feels like he is in a much better place. He also picked up his first home victory since May 5, although the Yankees just barely hung on to their lead in the ninth inning. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/sonny-gray-sharper-in-yankees-win-over-mets/c-286679252

"For me, there's only one way to go, and that's up," Gray said. "I don't know, I guess it just couldn't get any worse and something needed to change. I think it's, for me, mindset-wise, to go out there and compete and go out there and keep the game small. Go out there and just try to get guys out one pitch at a time, one batter at a time and take that mindset throughout the second half and hopefully start a lot of games that we win." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/sonny-gray-sharper-in-yankees-win-over-mets/c-286679252

Aroldis Chapman -- who has been battling left knee tendinitis -- entered the ninth inning with a four-run lead, but struggled to find the strike zone, allowing the Mets to put on a late charge. The closer walked in a run on four pitches before allowing another to score on a hit batsman, prompting Boone to turn to Chasen Shreve with the bases loaded and a two-run lead. A run scored on a ground-ball double play and Shreve recorded the final out and the save by throwing out Wilmer Flores on a grounder back to the mound. "according https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/sonny-gray-sharper-in-yankees-win-over-mets/c-286679252

It doesn't concern me at all," Chapman said. "It's a bad outing. I feel good, so nothing to worry about." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/sonny-gray-sharper-in-yankees-win-over-mets/c-286679252

The Bombers put up a four-spot in the fourth inning, starting with a Didi Gregorius RBI triple past diving center fielder Matthew den Dekker. Miguel Andujar followed with a fly ball that was ruled an RBI double after a fan reached out and caught it over the wall. den Dekker then misplayed drives from Greg Bird and Austin Romine, resulting in an RBI double and single, respectively, off Steven Matz, who allowed five runs on nine hits through five innings. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/sonny-gray-sharper-in-yankees-win-over-mets/c-286679252

After Bird gave the Yankees a little cushion with an RBI single in the sixth, Aaron Judge -- who went 3-for-4 on the afternoon -- launched his 26th home run of the year into the Mets' bullpen. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/sonny-gray-sharper-in-yankees-win-over-mets/c-286679252

"Good player," Boone said of Judge. "He's one of those guys, to me, even when he's struggling, I feel like the at-bat quality is pretty good anyway just because he's so good at controlling the strike zone. … He's been swinging it well, including [in] the All Star Game." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/sonny-gray-sharper-in-yankees-win-over-mets/c-286679252

Earlier in the afternoon, Michael Conforto got the Mets on the board by leading off the second inning with a solo shot to right-center field off Gray. The starter was charged with an earned run on an Amed Rosario single off David Robertson in the sixth before Robertson commited a throwing error on a pickoff attempt to allow another Mets run to score. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/sonny-gray-sharper-in-yankees-win-over-mets/c-286679252

SOUND SMART
Andujar has 45 extra-base hits in his first 91 career games, which is the fourth-most by a Yankee within that span of games. He trails just Joe DiMaggio (63 extra-base hits), Bob Meusel (52) and Gary Sanchez (46). "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/sonny-gray-sharper-in-yankees-win-over-mets/c-286679252

HE SAID IT
"Just a step forward. Simplifying pitch selection, getting him in a comfortable zone and trying to stay there as much as possible. His ball was moving a lot today. I thought he controlled it as much as he could. With that kind of movement, sometimes it can get away, in the past couple [outings] maybe the control got away. I think the last two starts, he's really honing in on controlling all his pitches." -- Yankees catcher Romine, on Gray's recent outings "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/sonny-gray-sharper-in-yankees-win-over-mets/c-286679252

Unlike New York who didn't get to play Sunday, Tampa Bay  meanwhile did get their game in against Miami and they won it. 

- Daniel Robertson's walk-off grand slam, the first in the history of the franchise, gave the Rays a 6-4 win over the Marlins Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field. "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-daniel-robertson-win-with-walk-off-slam/c-286826640

Tampa Bay's win came after the Marlins won the first two games of the three-game series between the in-state rivals. While the Marlins won four out of six this season, Sunday's win gave the Rays a 57-56 all-time advantage, and it snapped a three-game losing skid. "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-daniel-robertson-win-with-walk-off-slam/c-286826640

Jake Bauers doubled off Kyle Barraclough to start the winning rally. C.J. Cron followed with a single to center before Ji-Man Choi singled to center to score Bauers and cut the lead to 4-2. "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-daniel-robertson-win-with-walk-off-slam/c-286826640

Two outs later, Willy Adames, who was called up before the game, walked to load the bases. That's when Rays manager Kevin Cash sent Robertson to the plate as a pinch-hitter. "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-daniel-robertson-win-with-walk-off-slam/c-286826640

Robertson had been in a funk recently, entering Sunday's game in the middle of an 8-for-45 stretch in his last 12 games. He stayed ready by hitting in the cage behind the Rays dugout. "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-daniel-robertson-win-with-walk-off-slam/c-286826640

"I was in the cage with [Rays batting practice pitcher Manny Navarro] all day," Robertson said. "I was joking with him, I was like, 'Man, I feel good. Mark my word, I'm going to turn this around.'" "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-daniel-robertson-win-with-walk-off-slam/c-286826640

Robertson did just that, connecting on a 1-0 pitch, sending his eighth home run of the season into the left-field stands. "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-daniel-robertson-win-with-walk-off-slam/c-286826640

"I just wanted something over the plate to put an easy swing on it," Robertson said. "I was telling them earlier that with [Mallex Smith] on second, if I found a little turf out there that it would tie the game. I put a better swing on it than that and got it over the fence." "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-daniel-robertson-win-with-walk-off-slam/c-286826640

The Rays found themselves facing a three-run deficit after Chris Archer ran into a rough patch in the second inning. Despite giving up four runs in the frame, Archer was on his game, striking out a season-high 13. "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-daniel-robertson-win-with-walk-off-slam/c-286826640

MOMENT THAT MATTERED
Smith batted with one out and two aboard in the ninth. Facing Barraclough, Smith battled the Marlins closer for 10 pitches before grounding into a forceout on the 11th pitch. Hunter Wood, who pinch-ran for Choi, slid hard into second base and prompted a meeting between umpires to determine if a review was necessary. The game would resume without a review, but Smith's at-bat took its toll on Barraclough, who reached 40 pitches on the fateful pitch he threw to Robertson for the walk-off. "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-daniel-robertson-win-with-walk-off-slam/c-286826640

"[Smith] fouled off a bunch of pitches, a bunch of quality pitches," Cash said. "You could tell the way Mallex was swinging, they were probably [just off the plate]. With two strikes he had to sit there and battle. Made [Barraclough] work to get to a 3-2 count, then continued and continued to work. I know he didn't get a hit. But you have to think that had some type of effect [on Barraclough]." "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-daniel-robertson-win-with-walk-off-slam/c-286826640

SOUND SMART
According to Stats LLC, Sunday's win was the first for the Rays when they were trailing by at least three runs in the ninth inning or later since Sept. 20, 2012, against Boston. "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-daniel-robertson-win-with-walk-off-slam/c-286826640

HE SAID IT
"D-Rob, he's been huge for us all year this year, so for him to come up clutch was amazing, especially against their closer, who has had a heck of a year so far." -- Archer, on Robertson's walk-off grand slam "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-daniel-robertson-win-with-walk-off-slam/c-286826640

First pitch is set for 7:10pm. The game will be televised on Yes. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/schedule/2018-07