New York @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 25, 2018 ) NY Yankees 9, Tampa Bay 2

Miguel Andujar continues to build his resume for the American League Rookie of the Year honors and looks to push his batting average over .300 when the New York Yankees visit the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday for the third contest of their four-game series. Andujar (.298) launched a solo homer in Tuesday’s 9-2 rout and is 8-for-24 with five extra-base hits over his last six games for the playoff-bound Yankees.

New York’s Gary Sanchez also hopes to build off a big performance on Tuesday, when he was 2-for-4 - including his first homer in two weeks - with four RBIs after a stretch during which he went 1-for-27 over eight games. Masahiro Tanaka is 1-1 with a 1.20 ERA against Tampa Bay in 2018 as he takes the mound for the Yankees on Wednesday, while the Rays will open the contest with hard-throwing reliever Ryne Stanek. Tampa Bay has suffered back-to-back losses for the first time since Aug 17 and 18, getting outscored 13-3 in the first two contests of the series. Brandon Lowe went 3-for-3 with two RBIs in Tuesday’s setback while Tommy Pham extended his hitting streak to nine games (15-for-34) and his on-base run to 27 contests with a double.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (12-5, 3.67 ERA) vs. Rays RH Ryne Stanek (2-3, 2.70)

Tanaka is unbeaten in his last four starts despite allowing five runs and eight hits in four innings of a no-decision against Boston last Thursday. The 29-year-old native of Japan yielded one run on 14 hits and three walks over 21 frames in his previous three turns. Kevin Kiermaier is 7-for-22 with a homer against Tanaka, who is 8-3 with a 3.58 ERA in 13 career starts versus the Rays - including a 4-2 record and 4.41 mark at Tropicana Field.

Stanek recorded two strikeouts while working a total of one inning in a pair of relief outings that followed his last start on Sept. 20, when he yielded two runs in one frame at Toronto. The 27-year-old from Kansas is 0-2 with a 2.92 ERA in the “opener” role, registering 48 strikeouts while limiting opponents to a .189 batting average over 37 innings in 27 outings. Aaron Judge is 2-for-4 versus Stanek, who has given up one unearned run over 6 1/3 frames against the Yankees in 2018.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tampa Bay DH-1B Ji-Man Choi went through concussion protocol after a collision with Sanchez at home plate on Tuesday.

2. New York OF Aaron Hicks likely will miss another day or two, but an MRI on his hamstring Tuesday showed no tear.

3. The Rays need three wins in their final five games to reach 90 for the sixth time in franchise history and first since 2013.

PREDICTION: Yankees 5, Rays 2