Baseball Series of the Week – Yankees vs Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays will take no chances in the first game of a three-game series against the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field this weekend. As we preview this series matchup for baseball betting fans, it is important to note that the probable starting pitcher for the Rays will be none other than David Price, the south paw who was the number one pick of the 2007 Draft and put forth a solid effort in his rookie season in 2009 for Tampa Bay.

New York Yankees (2-1) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (2-0)
3-game series: April 9-11, 2010 @ Tropicana Field

The Yankees, who are trying to get out of Boston with two wins, are still entangled with the Red Sox, and likely have yet to shift their focus to their upcoming weekend series in Tampa Bay. New York has looked solid, yet not outstanding, against Boston. The Yankees capitalized on a throwing error by the Red Sox in the top of the eighth inning in Game 2 to load the bases and then pitcher Hideki Okajima walked Nick Johnsons to score Jorge Posada, giving New York their first win.

The Rays, on the other hand, rallied impressively to win in the ninth inning against the Baltimore Orioles, with a two-run walk-off double by Carl Crawford. The Rays were also supported by a 473-foot blast homer by Evan Longoria and effective pitching for over six innings by starter James Shields.

Both teams have games tonight to wind up their current series before beginning this one at Tampa Bay on Friday. The Yankees have already pitched their arguably strongest pitchers in the Boston series, starting with CC Sabathia, then A.J. Burnett who got the win in Game 2, and used veteran Andy Pettitte in Game 3, in his 13th season with the Yankees. Therefore, New York will likely come to Tampa Bay with a short rotation, yet the Yankees bullpen is always a force to be reckoned with, due to the consistency and winning record of Mariano Rivera.

As far as betting goes, the Yankees are usually a fairly safe bet to follow. However, the season is young, and the Rays are fired up and focused, whereas the Yankees will likely be less so. I believe the Rays at home have the ability and teamwork necessary to take two out of three games from the Yankees. Whatever the case, be sure to keep an eye on the Listed Pitchers for this series, as they will certainly be a determining factor.

***Lines for baseball series will be found in the BetOnline sportsbook the night before the series begins. Lines for MLB games will be posted around midnight EST the night before the game.

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