The Yankees (55-52, 32-26 home) host the Rays (66-44, 29-25 away) in game three of this AL East series. Getting the start for the Yankees is Gerrit Cole while the Rays are turning to Shane McClanahan. Read on to get my best bet for this New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays matchup.

TAMPA BAY RAYS VS NEW YORK YANKEES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Tampa Bay Rays -106

This game will be played at Yankee Stadium at 7:05 ET on Wednesday, August 2nd.

WHY BET THE TAMPA BAY RAYS:

  • Coming into the game, the Yankees have gone just 2-8 in their last ten home games.
  • The Yankees have been struggling of late, having lost each of their last three straight games.
  • The Rays have gone 1-2 in Gerrit Cole’s last three starts.

TAMPA BAY RAYS HAVE BEEN GOOD AGAINST THE AL EAST

This season, the Rays have played a total of 33 series and are above .500 at 18-11-4. On the road, Tampa Bay is 29-25 and 37-19 at home. Their overall record of 66-44 has the Rays sitting 2nd in the AL East.

Shane McClanahan has been a dominant force in the 2023 season, boasting an 11-1 record and 3.00 ERA. On the road, he has gone 6-1 with a 3.96 ERA, while at home he is 5-0 with a 3.07 ERA. His WHIP stands at 1.18 and opponents have only managed to hit .216 against him, with a slugging percentage of .369.

Shane McClanahan’s performance against the Astros resulted in a no-decision, but the Rays still emerged victorious with a 4-3 score. The lefty allowed three runs and eight hits over five innings of work.

During their last five games, Tampa Bay is the 17th ranked offense in terms of batting average. In these games, they have hit a combined .233 and are averaging 5.2 runs per game. Across the entire season, the Rays are hitting .254 with an OBP of .327 while averaging 5.2 runs per contest. This figure puts them 4th in the league.

Brandon Lowe has been a key component of the Tampa Bay offense this season, boasting a .228 batting average and .447 slugging percentage. Over the last ten games, Lowe has been on fire at the plate, leading the Rays in hits and batting an impressive .356.

WILL THE NEW YORK YANKEES TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The Yankees head into today’s game looking to build on their above .500 record at home (32-26). Their overall record of 55-52 has them placed 5th in the AL East. Through 34 series, the Yankees are 16-13-5.

Gerrit Cole will take the mound for the Yankees with a 9-2 record. In 22 appearances, he has an ERA of 2.64 and opponents are hitting just .209 against him. Cole has struck out 149 batters and allowed 36 walks, resulting in a WHIP of 1.05 and a SLG allowed of .329.

In his most recent outing, Gerrit Cole tossed seven strong frames and allowed no runs, yet did not receive a decision. Despite his impressive performance, the Yankees were unable to come away with a victory, falling to the Orioles 1-0.

Over their last ten games, the Yankees are ranked 15th in the league in scoring at 3.8 runs per game. Their season-long scoring average of 4.3 per contest puts them 22nd in baseball. In terms of on-base percentage, New York is 19th, with an OBP currently sitting at .301. The team’s collective batting average is .229 (21st).

The Yankees’ Gleyber Torres tops the team in hits, boasting a .255 batting average. His slugging percentage stands at .422, and his on-base percentage is .318 heading into the game.