New York @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 24, 2019 ) NY Yankees 1, Tampa Bay 2

Tampa Bay's Ji-Man Choi has turned into He-Man Choi of late and the Rays are glad for it as they host the New York Yankees on Wednesday in the finale of their two-game series. Choi belted a walk-off home run in the 12th inning to give the Rays a 2-1 victory Tuesday that kept them one-half game ahead of Cleveland for the final American League wild card berth and moved them within a half-game of Oakland for the top spot.

Choi's three-run homer helped Tampa Bay, which finishes the regular season with three at Toronto, defeat Boston 7-4 on Monday. The Rays haven't made things easy on themselves by trailing in their last eight games but they've managed to win five of them. New York, which is 5-5 in its last 10 contests, fell 1 1/2 games behind Houston for the best record in baseball. Tampa Bay ace Charlie Morton makes what will likely be his final start of the regular season Wednesday while the Yankees' J.A. Happ, who along with CC Sabathia will serve as a reliever in the postseason, follows an opener.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH J.A. Happ (12-8, 5.01 ERA) vs. Rays RH Charlie Morton (15-6, 3.15)

Happ makes his first relief appearance since 2015 - one day after Sabathia pitched a perfect inning Tuesday in his first career regular-season game out of the bullpen. Happ is 2-0 with a 2.30 ERA in his last five starts after a no-decision Friday versus Toronto in which he allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings of New York's 4-3 loss. Tampa Bay's Avisail Garcia is 5-for-14 with two home runs versus Happ, who is 5-4 with a 4.15 ERA in 19 games (18 starts) against the Rays - 1-0, 2.61 in two turns this season.

Morton received a no-decision after yielding two runs and five hits with eight strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings of Tampa Bay's 5-4 victory over Boston on Friday. The 35-year-old New Jersey native is 7-3 with a 2.75 ERA in 16 home starts this season, last losing at Tropicana Field on Aug. 16 - a 2-0 setback to Detroit during which he didn't allow an earned run and struck out 10 over seven innings. New York's Brett Gardner is 8-for-17 with three home runs and two doubles versus Morton, who is 3-2 with a 4.54 ERA in seven starts against the Yankees - 1-1, 5.28 in three turns this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. New York OF Cameron Maybin on Tuesday hit his 10th home run, giving the Yankees 299 this season and a major league-record 14 players with at least 10.

2. Tampa Bay has yielded a major league-low 177 home runs this season but 33 in 18 games against New York.

3. Yankees 3B Gio Urshela was hit in the left hand Tuesday by a Diego Castillo pitch in the sixth and left an inning later. X-rays were negative.

PREDICTION: Rays 3, Yankees 2