Series Preview: New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays

by Steve Slowinski on Jul 30, 2010 4:30 PM EDT

First two games are 7:10 PM start; Sunday's game is a 1:40 PM start.

Friday, July 30: Phil Hughes (4.00 FIP) vs. Wade Davis (5.33 FIP)

Saturday, July 31: Javier Vazquez (4.92 FIP) vs. Matt Garza (4.52 FIP)

Sunday, August 1: CC Sabathia (3.61 FIP) vs. James Shields (4.20 FIP)

This is huge. Enormous. I don't want to get hyperbolic when there's still 60 games left in the regular season, but this is about as important a series as you can have at this stage in the season. The Rays have been on fire recently - winning their last six games in a row - but the Yankees haven't been doing so bad themselves, winning seven of their last ten games to stay two games ahead of the Rays. The Rays need to win this series to make up ground in the division, but more importantly, they need to win so that they can keep Boston from getting any closer in the Wild Card race. Five and a half games is a nice cushion, but if the Rays get swept and Boston takes a few games from the Tigers, things can change in a hurry.

The name of the game this series is going to be pitching. The Rays don't have as good a line-up as the Yankees, so they need their pitchers to keep the games close enough that the Rays can win. If Davis, Garza, and Shields can keep the game close for six innings, the deadly trio of Benoit, Balfour, and Sori can take over and give the Rays a chance. The Yankees don't have a particularly strong bullpen, so the Rays can knock their starters out of the game early, it'd give them a huge advantage.

This is the last time the Rays will face the Yankees until mid-September, and the third-to-last time they face each other all season. Let's make that division race a little closer, shall we?

Tweet Comment 68 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Read More: Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees

Comments

Oh ok

I just didn’t understand what you were saying.

by Sveet on Jul 30, 2010 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions

i'm nor really saying anything...

i’m just babbling. i really want to win this series, and shields really scares me, it makes me incomprehensible…

by davidsmarch on Jul 30, 2010 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Lest you forget the absolute shelling that Garza took before the no-no

He’s been our 3rd best pitcher all season, at best.

And if one has a problem using stats to prove a point, then use your eyes.

2010 Trade Deadline Primer --> http://dockoftherays.com/2010/07/03/2010-trade-deadline-primer/

by Sandy Kazmir on Jul 30, 2010 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Can we blame that on Jaso?

PIZZA?!?

by Transplanted on Jul 30, 2010 5:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Dump point.

And if one has a problem using stats to prove a point, then use your eyes.

2010 Trade Deadline Primer --> http://dockoftherays.com/2010/07/03/2010-trade-deadline-primer/

by Sandy Kazmir on Jul 30, 2010 5:42 PM EDT up reply actions

point dump

by davidsmarch on Jul 30, 2010 5:42 PM EDT up reply actions

Hey Rays--how about a Friday night win?

by sternfan1 on Jul 30, 2010 4:38 PM EDT reply actions

touche

we’re F-ed

"Doesn't Manny Ramirez look like the monster from Predator??" - Will Farrell as Harry Carey

by Gone Phishing on Jul 30, 2010 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions

you're fed? who fed you?

by davidsmarch on Jul 30, 2010 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Its the Friday night curse

sarcasm. I don’t believe in that shit

"Doesn't Manny Ramirez look like the monster from Predator??" - Will Farrell as Harry Carey

by Gone Phishing on Jul 30, 2010 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions

plz plz plz

by rglass44 on Jul 30, 2010 4:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Done.

Pieman? Must be Navarro's account.

A ha ha

by R.J. Anderson on Jun 9, 2010 8:37 PM EDT

by Pieman93 on Jul 31, 2010 12:43 AM EDT up reply actions

WE BETTER CHEER TONIGHT

I’ll be there in full Rays gear getting behind my fav team

"Doesn't Manny Ramirez look like the monster from Predator??" - Will Farrell as Harry Carey

by Gone Phishing on Jul 30, 2010 4:38 PM EDT reply actions

The Yankees?

So I should just change my sig to
I hate everyone of color, along with invalids, the old, and the retarded?
by firemangreg on Jul 21, 2010 2:59 PM EDT up reply actions

by kericr on Jul 30, 2010 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Not crazy about the pitching matchups

I hope we can get 2 of 3.

I’ll be there Saturday. It’s going to be a crazy weekend at the Trop

by Sveet on Jul 30, 2010 4:39 PM EDT reply actions

Agreed.

These matchups are teh suck. Maybe we can steal one tonight, and then win the “Tale of Two Pitchers” game staurday.

by rglass44 on Jul 30, 2010 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions

sf1 doing some front page writing under the pseudonym "Steve Slowinski"

Five and a half games is a nice cushion, but if the Rays get swept and Boston takes a few games from the Tigers, things can change in a hurry.

As you can always expect come from behind victory is when you least expect it.

by Buc Wild on Jul 30, 2010 4:46 PM EDT reply actions

Change if to when and you have a point

Follow Me on Twitter @FreeZorilla

by FreeZorilla on Jul 30, 2010 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Fo sho

by Sveet on Jul 30, 2010 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Damnit, I was JUST about to say this

by Travis Lee on Jul 30, 2010 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions

And you'd have to make it *will change in a hurry

by Travis Lee on Jul 30, 2010 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions

For the record

The Angels effin suck

by Sveet on Jul 30, 2010 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Not enough typos.

by rglass44 on Jul 30, 2010 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions

What's SF1's agenda?

The caller said the boy, after removing the bulb from its socket, left the building and threw the bulb on the ground. When the bulb broke, the caller said the boy screamed "Free the slaves at traffic stops from false arrest and jury fixing"

by Top Gun Numba 1 on Jul 30, 2010 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions

I fully expect to see Dunn or Berkman in a Rays uniform by tomorrow. If not, I will assume the FO doesn't care about winning.

GO RAYS

"It doesnt really matter what I think anymore." - Kevin Kennedy

by acablue on Jul 30, 2010 5:11 PM EDT reply actions

Berkman is gonna be in the other dugout this weekend

PIZZA?!?

by Transplanted on Jul 30, 2010 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Then they sure as hell better make a deal with the Nats or they've lost one of their 37 fans.

"It doesnt really matter what I think anymore." - Kevin Kennedy

by acablue on Jul 30, 2010 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions

What if they're stupid

PIZZA?!?

by Transplanted on Jul 30, 2010 5:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Watch A-Rod hit a bomb and some idiot throws it back.

Maddon's Mission
Make you want to kill him, then make you want to love him. Sly.

by Jonah Keri on Jun 19, 2010 10:31 PM EDT

by Doug09 on Jul 30, 2010 5:11 PM EDT reply actions

LOL I would die

by Travis Lee on Jul 30, 2010 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions

^^here i am^^

by sternfan1 on Jul 30, 2010 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions

HEY THERE'S MY HOUSE GETTING THROWN BACK

PIZZA?!?

by Transplanted on Jul 30, 2010 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Still, Bill Simmons is right

600 doesn’t really mean anything, when you get right down to it. It’s no more significant than 620 or 650.

"It doesnt really matter what I think anymore." - Kevin Kennedy

by acablue on Jul 30, 2010 5:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Too bad that's not how real life works

Maddon's Mission
Make you want to kill him, then make you want to love him. Sly.

by Jonah Keri on Jun 19, 2010 10:31 PM EDT

by Doug09 on Jul 30, 2010 5:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Bill Simmons knows less about baseball than my mom.

by rglass44 on Jul 30, 2010 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions

I thought BS's point was...

So many guys have reached 600 recently because of ‘roids that it doesn’t mean what it used to mean. When Aaron, Mays, (Griffey?) etc. hit 600, it was meaningful. For A-Rod, we don’t know whether it is just the roids that got him to 600 or whether he would have gotten there on his own.

by david_a on Jul 30, 2010 5:29 PM EDT up reply actions