As the second-to-last series of the 2017 season for the New York Yankees comes to a close, they’ll be looking to sweep the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium.
The New York Yankees are looking to build on their 49-28 home record, as they go for the sweep of the three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on Thursday night.
Sonny Gray will get the starting nod for New York in what will be his 11th start as a Yankee and 27th start of the season. Last time out, the 27-year-old earned his 10th win of the season at Toronto after allowing just one earned run over six innings pitched.
In 10 starts since being acquired by the Yankees, Gray is 4-6 with a 3.12 ERA and over his last 16 starts, he owns the American League’s second-lowest ERA (2.43) behind Corey Kluber (1.71) of the Cleveland Indians.
For the Rays, Jake Faria will be making his first start since August 16 against the Blue Jays after the 24-year-old spent time on the 10-day disabled list from August 20-September 14 with a left abdominal strain.
Faria has made two appearances out of the bullpen since being reinstated but is still seeking his first win since he defeated the Baltimore Orioles on July 25. Since then, he is 0-3 with a 4.78 ERA.
Lineups:
Yankees vs. Tampa Bay tonight at 7:05pm on @YESNetwork pic.twitter.com/VEztysy9u9
— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) September 28, 2017
Sweeping The Nation:
With a win tonight, the Yankees would own 11 sweeps this season, their most since 2009 (14). It would also mark their second sweep of the Rays at Yankee Stadium this season, a feat they have not accomplished since 2013 when they swept the Toronto Blue Jays three times at Yankee Stadium.
Don’t Wake Me Up When September Ends:
New York’s 18-7 record (.720) in September is their highest September win total since they went 19-9 back in 2009. It’s also tied with the Houston Astros for the second-best Major League record in the month.
Soaring:
Greg Bird has recorded least one extra-base hit and one RBI in five straight games, going 7-for-19 (.368) with three doubles,
three home runs and eight RBI’s. Since returning from the disabled list on August 26, he has hit seven home runs and driven in 22 runs in 25 games along with a .848 OPS.
Greg Bird with the 3-run shot, his 5th home run of the year & has now homered in back to back games #Yankees
— Around The Bases POD (@AroundBasesPOD) September 16, 2017
Extra Extra:
On Wednesday, Yankees’ right fielder Aaron Judge doubled in the Yankees’ first two runs of the in the fifth, marking his seventh-straight game with an extra-base hit. It marked the longest such streak by a Yankee since Johnny Damon had 10 straight games with an extra-base hit in May of 2009. In those seven games, Judge has gone 10-for-21 (.476) with all hits going for extra bases.
.@DCone36 joins @NancyNewmanYES on #BPTV to grade @Yankees' slugger @TheJudge44's phenomenal (possibly MVP) rookie season.#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/u4m96RyIpO
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 26, 2017
How To Watch:
- Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
- Channel: YES Network
- Radio: WFAN 660AM/101.9FM
- Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
