Heavy rain predictions for the New York area forced officials to call off Saturday’s scheduled matchup between the Tampa Bay Rays and Yankees.
The postponed contest will be rescheduled as a split-admission doubleheader on September 22, coinciding with the Yankees’ last homestand of the regular season.
Tampa Bay had planned to start right-hander Drew Rasmussen, who will now likely take the mound Sunday, despite continued heavy rain projections for the New York region. The Yankees were set to use Ryan Weathers on Saturday, and the left-handed pitcher will probably be pushed back to Sunday’s game.
Tampa Bay enters the series riding a five-game winning streak and holds a commanding 4-0 advantage in the season matchup, with each of those victories coming by margins of two runs or less. The Rays kicked off the series with a dramatic comeback, plating four runs in the eighth inning against reliever Tim Hill to secure a 4-2 win.
The rally featured Jonathan Aranda’s game-tying double and a crucial two-run single by Richie Palacios that deflected off Hill’s glove during the eighth frame. This victory extended Tampa Bay’s lead in the American League East to 5 1/2 games over the Yankees.
The Rays have compiled an impressive 22-4 record over their last 26 contests.
Meanwhile, the Yankees continue to struggle, managing just four victories in their previous 14 outings while being limited to three runs or fewer in nine of those games. Over their last three contests, New York has managed only three total runs while posting a dismal .136 batting average (3-for-22) with runners in scoring position.
