New York @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 19, 2014 ) NY Yankees 1, Tampa Bay 16

The Tampa Bay Rays look to keep their suddenly hot bats going when they host the New York Yankees in the finale of a four-game set Sunday afternoon. The Rays were a dormant club after dropping the series opener Thursday, having lost four straight and scoring 16 runs over a 10-game span. However, they broke out late in an 11-5 win Friday and pasted four Yankees pitchers in a 16-1 rout Saturday night.

The sudden breakout has coincided with the end of a slump for second-year star Wil Myers, who hit two home runs Saturday and is 6-for-9 with seven RBIs in the back-to-back victories. Evan Longoria also homered in the 16-1 triumph and is 7-for-10 with four RBIs in the series. The Yankees are expected to make multiple roster moves in order to get some pitching help behind fill-in starter Vidal Nuno and to activate first baseman Mark Teixeira from the 15-day disabled list.

TV: 1:40 p.m. ET, YES (New York), Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Vidal Nuno (0-0, 8.84 ERA) vs. Rays LH Cesar Ramos (0-1, 7.50)

Nuno performed very well as a starter over the course of three outings last May, allowing four runs and 11 hits in 17 innings. One of those starts came at Tampa Bay, which managed just two runs in six-plus innings against the 26-year-old. Nuno gave up seven runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings of relief in a 14-5 loss to Baltimore on April 8.

This will be the second straight start following four relief appearances to begin the season for Ramos, but his first start - just the fourth of his career - did not last long as he managed two-plus frames in a 12-4 loss at Cincinnati last Sunday. Ramos gave up four runs and three hits while walking three in a difficult 47-pitch effort. The former first-round pick has a 7.62 ERA in 13 career games against New York and has walked 10 batters while striking out only eight in his 14 career innings in a starting role.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tampa Bay is 18-7 in the last 25 home games against New York.

2. Yankees RH Dellin Betances has 14 strikeouts in eight scoreless innings out of the bullpen this year.

3. Rays 2B Ben Zobrist is 5-for-10 with five runs scored in the last two games.

PREDICTION: Rays 6, Yankees 5