Yankees Win 9-5

Final Score – Yankees 9, Rays 5

As quickly as Tampa Bay jumped out to a 3-0 lead, David Price nearly handed it all back as he allowed two runs in the bottom half of the first. It would be the beginning of what ended up as Price’s worst start of the season.

Crawford Nabs 32nd Stolen Base

Top of the fourth inning and Carl Crawford has just stolen his 32nd base of the season. The Rays are tied with the Yankees, 3-3..

Reid Brignac, Carlos Pena Power Rays Past Yankees 10-5

A night after losing in one of the more dramatic ways possible it was nice to see the Rays come out and get one back at Yankee Stadium.

Yankees Beat Rays After Emotional Open To Second Half

Nick Swisher and the New York Yankees paid tribute to George Steinbrenner with the type of thrilling victory the demanding owner loved.

On a night that began with Mariano Rivera placing a pair of long-stemmed red roses across home plate and Derek Jeter speaking a touching tribute to the hushed crowd, Swisher ended the evening in the Yankees’ fashion.

Swisher’s single with two outs in the ninth inning capped a night of comebacks, and the Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 Friday night in the first game following Steinbrenner’s death.

Friday's Are Not Friendly For Rays

Interesting note going into tonight’s game at Yankee Stadium. Taken from Twitter:

…You know, the Rays haven’t won a Friday game since May 7. Overall they’re 3-11 in Friday games.

That’s an ugly fact to find out, leading into such an important series that opens on a Friday…

(hat tip to RaysIndex who shared the message to the public)

SERIES: Tampa Bay Rays At New York Yankees - 3 Game Series

WHERE: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
WHEN: July 16 - July 18, 2010 
TEAM COVERAGE: DRaysBay, Pinstripe Alley

The first series after the All-Star break is a doozy for Tampa Bay, as the Rays venture into the lions den and play a weekend series against the AL East leading New York Yankees. It also marks the opening of a nine-game road trip for the Rays.

Besides the obvious battle between AL East leaders, this series lies in the shadow of the passing of Yankee owner George Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner's legacy affects both the team he owned as well as the club of his adopted hometown.

But enough of that. While there will be a pause before the game and other token mentions of Mr. Steinbrenner, the entire series is a battle on the field and a titanic opening shot for the second half of the MLB season. The Rays are currently two games behind the Yanks in the standings, and a poor series could easily put them in a deep hole in the one of the most competitive divisions in Major League Baseball.

Rays Team Stats

Yankees Team Stats