New York @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 6, 2015 ) Tampa Bay 4, NY Yankees 6

The New York Yankees have a tough hill to climb in the American League East after dropping three of four to first-place Toronto over the weekend. The Yankees will look to hold onto their comfortable position in the wild-card race when they start a nine-game road trip with the first of three against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.

The Yankees, who trail Toronto by 3 ½ games, avoided a sweep with a 5-0 victory over the Blue Jays on Sunday which ended a losing streak that had grown to five contests. New York has taken 10 of 16 games from the Rays this season, including four of seven at Tampa Bay. The Rays have played themselves out of realistic playoff contention with seven losses in their last 10 games after dropping a 2-0 decision to Boston in 13 innings Sunday while managing only three hits. Steven Souza Jr. is 3-for-10 with a double since coming off the disabled list for the Rays.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, YES (New York), Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH CC Sabathia (4-9, 5.16 ERA) vs. Rays RH Erasmo Ramirez (10-5, 3.96)

Sabathia gave up three runs (one earned), four hits and three walks over 4 2/3 innings against Baltimore on Wednesday in his first game since returning from the disabled list. The 35-year-old is winless in his last eight outings, but gave up two runs or fewer in half of those appearances. Evan Longoria is batting .393 with six homers and 14 RBIs in his career against Sabathia, who is 13-14 (1-0 in 2015) with a 3.83 ERA in 37 career starts versus the Rays.
Ramirez has gone winless in his previous four starts, allowing four runs in three of those outings, but struck out a season-high nine on Tuesday at Detroit. The 25-year-old Nicaraguan is 5-4 with a 2.66 ERA at home as opposed to 5-1 with a 5.13 mark on the road. Jacoby Ellsbury is 3-for-4 with a homer versus Ramirez, who is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five appearances (two starts) against the Yankees in 2015.

WALK-OFFS

1. Longoria is one homer away from becoming the fourth third baseman in major-league history to tally 20 in seven of his first eight seasons.
2. New York DH Alex Rodriguez has belted seven homers with 11 RBIs while C Brian McCann boasts four blasts to go along with 15 RBIs against Tampa Bay this season.
3. The Rays have lost a franchise-record 11 straight games in extra innings – the longest streak since Houston dropped 11 in a row in 2012.

PREDICTION: Rays 6, Yankees 4