The New York Yankees were the first team to 50 wins this MLB season but have largely fallen off a cliff since.
The All-Star break came at the right time, according to Manager Aaron Boone, as the Yanks open a home series against AL East rival Tampa Bay on Friday as a solid favorite on the MLB odds according to MyBookie Sportsbook.
| MLB Picks: Yankees -175, Rays +155 (total 9) Score Prediction: Yankees 5, Rays 3 |
Tampa Bay Rays Moneyline +142
Rays in the Playoffs
The Rays have made the playoffs in each of the past five seasons but that streak likely ends with the team at 48-48 and well back of the AL’s final wild-card spot.
Rather amazingly, it’s the 21st time this season the Rays have been at .500, most in the American League and one shy of the full-season club record set in 2017.
Tampa in the 1st Half of the Season
The Rays have yielded the most home runs before the All-Star break in franchise history (124), surpassing the 2000 club (122).
Tampa Bay’s -39 (124-85) home run differential is second worst in the majors, ahead of Toronto, but the Rays have out-homered opponents, 31-27 (+4), over their last 24 games.
Tampa Bay did close pretty strong, though, in taking two of three at home in the final series pre-break against AL Central-leading Cleveland.
Jose Siri went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in the win, and that’s notable as Siri has struggled in July, collecting only five hits across 35 at-bats while striking out 12 times.
It was his 12th home run of the season. Siri has retained the starting job in center field for most of the first half, though he could be pushed for playing time by Jonny DeLuca if his struggles continue.
Closer Pete Fairbanks closed out Sunday’s win and has converted 17 of 19 save chances this season while producing a 3.21 ERA and a 32:15 K:BB.
Since the start of June, he owns a 2.55 ERA with 12 saves in 17 appearances.
The Rays are 9-3 in their last home games on the heels of a 5-14 stretch.
Tampa Bay’s rotation has turned in a 2.93 ERA since June 23, third lowest in the majors behind Kansas City and the New York Mets.
Rays starters have allowed two runs or fewer in 13 of 18 games during that timeframe.
Zach Eflin on the Hill
It’s scheduled to be righty Eflin on the mound Friday, but things can change out of the break. Eflin (5-6) was charged with two runs (one earned) over seven innings last Wednesday in a loss to the Yankees.
He deserved a better fate in this one, as he surrendered a run-scoring double in the second inning to Trent Grisham, who also added a fourth-inning sacrifice fly, which accounted for all the damage against him during a low-scoring game at Tropicana Field.
Eflin finished with six strikeouts and only handed out one free pass. It was a strong bounce-back effort for the 30-year-old after being hammered for six runs (five earned) over five innings his previous time out against the Royals.
He has 3.99 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 78/9 K/BB ratio across 99 1/3 innings (17 starts). Across his past seven starts, Eflin has allowed three runs or fewer in five outings.
He’s also covered at least 5 2/3 innings in six straight starts.
It’s possible the Rays could deal Eflin by the Trade Deadline to get off his fairly big salary and add to the team’s terrific farm system.
He is 3-2 with an ERA of 1.50 and 48 strikeouts in seven career appearances versus the Yankees.
^New York Yankees Moneyline -175
NY in the 1st Half of the Season
The Yankees did win two of three at AL East-leading Baltimore to close the first half, but the finale was a very tough 6-5 loss as New York scored three runs in the top of the ninth to lead 5-3 only to give up three in the bottom of the ninth.
Including Sunday’s loss, the Yanks have won just eight of their past 26 games.
Closer Clay Holmes, who made the American League All-Star team for the second time in three years, blew his second save in his last four chances.
After a mostly dominant first 30 appearances, Holmes has been much less effective over his last 10 outings. He’s allowed 13 hits, 12 runs — eight earned — in just 9.2 innings.
But it was hardly all his fault last Sunday, as Anthony Volpe and Alex Verdugo both made fielding blunders in the bottom of the ninth that cost them the game.
Volpe has really been scuffling at the plate too. Since June 6 his .171 batting average is the third worst of the 190 players with at least 100 plate appearances in that time.
Yankees Absences
DH Giancarlo Stanton will not return to the Yankees’ lineup Friday, but he might not be far off.
The slugger, out since June 22 with a hamstring strain that he expected to sideline him for around four weeks, has advanced to running the bases and hitting and could be “really close” to being ready to play when the Yankees start the second half.
The club has not yet determined whether Stanton will go on a rehab assignment before returning.
First baseman Anthony Rizzo and third baseman and trade acquisition JD Davis are also on the IL.
Rizzo isn’t particularly close to a return from a fractured forearm, while Davis could be activated perhaps by Monday, although he’s started only four games since being acquired by the Yankees on June 23 from Oakland.
AL MVP
Slugger Aaron Judge comes out of the break leading the majors with 34 homers and 85 RBIs and is the -330 favorite to win his second AL MVP (also 2022).
His 34 homers are the most by a Yankee prior to the All-Star break in franchise history, surpassing his own mark of 33 in 2022 and Roger Maris’ 33 in 1961.
The 34 homers are also tied with Frank Howard’s 34 in 1969 for the seventh-most in MLB history prior to the All-Star break.
Gerrit Cole on the Mound
It’s ace righty and, 2023 Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole (2-1, 5.40 ERA) on the hill Friday.
Cole pitched six innings of one-run ball and fanned seven in taking down the Orioles last Friday.
Gerrit probably had his best stuff of the season, and he topped out at 98.7 mph with his fastball.
He allowed just three hard-hit balls and walked one. After allowing eight runs over his first two outings, Cole has allowed just six runs over his subsequent three starts (15.1 innings) while striking out 21 in that span.
He has a 4-7 record with an ERA of 3.55 and 167 strikeouts in 19 career appearances against the Rays.
^Betting Rays at Yankees MLB Odds
When: Friday, 7:05 PM ET
Where: Yankee Stadium
Pitchers (away/home): Zach Eflin/Gerrit Cole
TV: MLB Extra Innings
Stream/game day audio: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/
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