Tampa Bay @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 25, 2013 ) Tampa Bay 8, NY Yankees 3

The Tampa Bay Rays are speeding toward a playoff berth but will take a back seat to a different celebration on Thursday. The Rays will visit the New York Yankees for the finale of a three-game series, which also marks the final home game of the season for the Yankees, and the last home game of a brilliant career for closer Mariano Rivera. No matter the score, Rivera will likely find his way into the game.

The future Hall of Famer spent the last couple of weeks mostly watching from the side as New York dropped eight of its last 11 games to fall out of postseason contention. Tampa Bay is surging in the opposite direction with wins in six straight contests. The Rays own a two-game lead over third-place Texas and sit one game clear of the second-place Cleveland Indians.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Alex Cobb (10-3, 2.90 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Ivan Nova (9-5, 3.13)

Cobb is coming off back-to-back wins of at least eight innings and held Baltimore to one run on five hits over 8 1/3 frames on Saturday. The Boston native struck out a total of 22 while walking only three in those last two turns. Cobb failed to make it through six innings against New York on Aug. 25, yielding two runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 frames.

Nova snapped out of a three-start funk with his second career shutout on Saturday, scattering six hits and striking out seven to beat San Francisco. The 26-year-old tossed his first career shutout on Aug. 31 and followed it up by going 0-1 with a 7.07 ERA in the next three outings. Nova went up against Cobb on Aug. 25 and did not factor in the decision, allowing two runs on six hits and six walks in 6 2/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rivera is 4-6 with a 1.71 ERA and 64 saves in 102 career appearances against Tampa Bay.

2. Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria homered twice on Wednesday and is 5-for-9 in the series.

3. New York 2B Robinson Cano tied Lou Gehrig for first place on the franchise list Wednesday by reaching 40 doubles for the seventh time.

PREDICTION: Rays 6, Yankees 5