The New York Yankees (61-66) avoided the indignity of a historic 10-game losing streak on Wednesday … only to get right back to snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in a 7-6 loss to the Nationals on Thursday. Things won’t get any easier for New York this weekend, as they head south for a weekend set against a Tampa Bay Rays (78-51) team that’s won four in a row and is breathing down the Baltimore Orioles’ necks atop the AL East. First pitch of Friday’s series opener is set for 6:40 p.m. ET. from Tropicana Field. The Yankees will give the ball to ace Gerrit Cole (10-4, 3.03 ERA), while Tampa counters with righty Zach Eflin (13-7, 3.58).
The Rays enter as -130 favorites on the moneyline at DraftKings Sportsbook, with New York at +110. The run total is set at 7.5.
Yankees-Rays picks: Friday, August 25
Injury report
Yankees
Out: 1B Anthony Rizzo (concussion symptoms), OF Billy McKinney (back), SP Nestor Cortes (rotator cuff), 3B Josh Donaldson (calf)
Rays
Out: INF Taylor Walls (oblique), OF Manuel Margot (elbow), RP Kevin Kelly (ankle)
Starting pitchers
Gerrit Cole vs. Zach Eflin
Cole had been in over the last few weeks but got roughed up last time out, allowing six runs on seven hits in just four innings of work in a loss to the Red Sox over the weekend. The righty is still as sturdy as ever — he’s tied with Logan Webb for the Major League lead in quality starts this season, including 11 of his last 14 outings — but his fastball velocity and whiff rates are lower than they’ve been since his Pirates days, pointing to a pitcher who’s far more hittable than we’re accustomed to. He was great in his last start against the Rays, though, allowing two runs on four hits over seven innings while striking out eight.
Amid injuries to just about every other Rays starter, Eflin has been the rock of Tampa’s rotation of late, with a 3.27 ERA across four starts so far this month. One of those came against the Yankees, in which the righty fired six shutout innings while allowing just three hits and striking out five. Outside of a couple hiccups last month, Eflin has been the epitome of consistency, with three or fewer runs allowed in 18 of 24 starts this season.
Over/Under pick
Tampa Bay has turned things around offensively of late, but I’m still backing the under here. New York has been among the league’s worst offenses against righties in the month of August and got dominated by Eflin earlier this month. If Cole can churn out his typical quality start, we should stay below this admittedly low number.
Pick: Under 7.5
Moneyline pick
It’s just very, very hard to trust this Yankees team right now, even with Cole on the mound. They haven’t shown the ability to score runs with any kind of consistency, and even their typically sturdy bullpen has begun to wilt under an immense workload. If this were the Cole of old, then maybe, but for as good as he’s been he no longer has the stuff to carry his team to win all by himself.
Pick: Rays -130
