The red-hot Rays are in the Big Apple for a Memorial Day weekend series with one of their American League East foes, the New York Yankees.The three-game series finale on Sunday will be broadcast on Gulf Coast NBC, with the first pitch around 1:35 p.m. The Tampa Bay Rays come into this series with the best record in the American League and the second-best record in Major League Baseball. The Rays (33-15) hold a four-and-a-half game lead over the Yankees (30-21) in the AL East standings.Tampa finished its homestand at Tropicana Field with a series sweep of another AL East rival, the Baltimore Orioles. That three-game sweep marks the Rays’ sixth of the season, which leads MLB.Friday night’s series opener will feature a pitching duel between the Rays’ Nick Martinez and the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole, who is making his season debut after being reinstated from the injured list. Martinez comes into Friday’s matchup with a 4-1 record and a 1.51 ERA.Cape Coral High School alum Shane McClanahan is scheduled to take the mound Sunday for the Rays, and Will Warren is expected to take the bump for the Yankees. McClanahan is in the midst of a bounce-back return to the diamond after recovering from Tommy John and nerve surgeries in the past couple of seasons. McClanahan is carrying a 5-2 record with a 2.82 ERA heading into Sunday’s matchup.On the offensive side for the Rays, the team is hitting on all cylinders with Yandy Diaz, budding superstar third baseman Junior Caminero, and first baseman Jonathan Aranda leading the charge.Diaz, a 2023 Silver Slugger Award winner, leads the team in batting average (.316), on-base percentage (.394), and hits (55). Caminero is leading the team in home runs with 13, and Aranda has knocked in the most runs with 37 runs batted in (RBIs).The Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins will have select 2026 regular-season games broadcast across Southwest Florida. Click here for the list of Rays game broadcasts and here for Marlins games.DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment, and original programming on your TV.

The red-hot Rays are in the Big Apple for a Memorial Day weekend series with one of their American League East foes, the New York Yankees.

The three-game series finale on Sunday will be broadcast on Gulf Coast NBC, with the first pitch around 1:35 p.m.

The Tampa Bay Rays come into this series with the best record in the American League and the second-best record in Major League Baseball. The Rays (33-15) hold a four-and-a-half game lead over the Yankees (30-21) in the AL East standings.

Tampa finished its homestand at Tropicana Field with a series sweep of another AL East rival, the Baltimore Orioles. That three-game sweep marks the Rays’ sixth of the season, which leads MLB.

Friday night’s series opener will feature a pitching duel between the Rays’ Nick Martinez and the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole, who is making his season debut after being reinstated from the injured list. Martinez comes into Friday’s matchup with a 4-1 record and a 1.51 ERA.

Cape Coral High School alum Shane McClanahan is scheduled to take the mound Sunday for the Rays, and Will Warren is expected to take the bump for the Yankees. McClanahan is in the midst of a bounce-back return to the diamond after recovering from Tommy John and nerve surgeries in the past couple of seasons. McClanahan is carrying a 5-2 record with a 2.82 ERA heading into Sunday’s matchup.

On the offensive side for the Rays, the team is hitting on all cylinders with Yandy Diaz, budding superstar third baseman Junior Caminero, and first baseman Jonathan Aranda leading the charge.

Diaz, a 2023 Silver Slugger Award winner, leads the team in batting average (.316), on-base percentage (.394), and hits (55). Caminero is leading the team in home runs with 13, and Aranda has knocked in the most runs with 37 runs batted in (RBIs).

The Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins will have select 2026 regular-season games broadcast across Southwest Florida. Click here for the list of Rays game broadcasts and here for Marlins games.

DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment, and original programming on your TV.