New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction & Betting Tips - MLB

Prediction published on 02/08/2023, 05:07  by Joseph King | Modified on 02/08/2023 at 05:08 in MLB Predictions

An AL East matchup in Major League Baseball sees the fifth-place New York Yankees taking on the second-placed Tampa Bay Rays. It’s been a disappointing season for the Yankees who were expected to be competing for one of the best records in the American League. Instead, the Bronx Bombers find themselves just three games above .500, trailing the division-leading Orioles by 11 games. The Yankees will likely be looking at a Wild Card if they are to make the postseason although they are trailing the Blue Jays by 3.5 games currently for the final spot. The hosts are trying to avoid the series sweep here after dropping the first two games of this three game stint. The Yankees fell 5-2 on Tuesday, marking the third consecutive loss for the team. They’ll try to bounce back with ace Gerrit Cole taking the mound. The 32-year-old All-Star is 9-2 on the season with an excellent 2.64 ERA.

As for the Rays, they have the chance to earn a road series sweep over the Yankees for the first time since the 2021 season. They’ll also be out to close the gap on the Orioles in first-place as Tampa Bay trails by only 1.5 games. It’s been a fantastic season for the Rays up to this point. Their 66 wins in 110 games is the second-best record in the AL and the third-best in the entire MLB. The visitors have now ripped off three straight wins and have outscored the Yankees 10-2 in the first two games of this series so far. They’ll start this encounter with Shane McClanahan who is sporting a stellar 11-1 record and is working with a 3.00 ERA on the year. The lefty is coming off a five inning, three earned run performance which also saw him give up eight hits. The Rays would hold on for the win on that occasion and have now won 15 of the 20 games with McClanhahan on the mound