Tampa Bay Rays to host New York Yankees in AL Division Series
TAMPA, Fla. —
The Tampa Bay Rays’ road through the postseason will continue against a familiar division rival.
The top-seeded Rays will welcome the New York Yankees to Tropicana Field on Saturday for Game 1 of the American League Division Series, renewing a matchup that carried plenty of intensity throughout the regular season.
Tampa Bay enters the series well-rested and focused on its goal of reaching the World Series for the third time in franchise history. The Rays held a slight edge over the Yankees during the regular season, winning seven of their 13 head-to-head meetings.
But come Saturday, the slate is wiped clean.
The Rays will send 16-game winner Drew Rasmussen to the mound for Game 1, but New York has not yet announced its starting pitcher.
Another question surrounding the Yankees is the status of slugger Aaron Judge, who was not on New York’s roster for its Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox.
Rays-Yankees already brings plenty of intensity to the baseball diamond on its own. Add October baseball and a trip to the ALCS on the line, and Tropicana Field should be rocking when the series gets underway Saturday night.