ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Believe it or not, the Rays’ season reaches the quarter pole this weekend when the Yankees visit Tropicana Field for three games beginning Friday evening.
The Rays (19-19) won the first five games on their nine-game homestand before falling to the White Sox, 4-1, on Wednesday night. Tampa Bay will attempt to get back in the win column, and back above .500, against its American League East rival, which is 25-14 and a half-game behind the division-leading Orioles.
“We had three really tight ballgames and felt like we could have won all three, and they felt like they could have won all three,” said manager Kevin Cash, in a referring to a three-game series in the Bronx in which the Rays lost twice and were outscored 10-9. “It seems to go that way when we play them. They have a lot of thump in the middle of the order and we have to execute pitches at a high rate.”
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The Rays have been getting healthy with Josh Lowe (hip) and Jonny DeLuca (hand) having made their season debuts on the current homestand. Taj Bradley is next in line and will make the start against New York on Friday. He was scratched from a March 12 spring training start with a right pectoral strain that cost him the first six weeks of the season.
“I’m really excited,” said Bradley, who was slotted into the rotation after Ryan Pepiot (left leg contusion) was placed on the 15-day IL. “The time that I took off felt like forever, but looking back, it was only two months.”
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Brandon Lowe (right oblique strain), Pete Fairbanks (nerve related) and Shane Baz (Tommy John surgery) each began rehab stints at Durham and could re-join the club soon. Accommodating the healthy players will require some roster juggling, though that is an issue Cash will deal with as they return. For now, the Rays need a strong series against the Yankees.
“We know it is going to be a good series,” said Isaac Paredes, whose eight homers and 20 RBI pace the lineup. “They are looking forward to it, we are looking forward to it and we are going to have to battle against them.”
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