Yanks Go Yard Radio Show: Rays-Yankees (8/12-8/14)

On last night’s Yanks Go Yard Radio Show, we previewed the upcoming Rays-Yankees series and Alex Rodriguez’s final game tonight

At the beginning of last night’s Yanks Go Yard Radio Show, I gave my takeaways from the New York Yankees (58-56) taking two out of three games against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. By winning that series, the Yankees are 3.5 games behind Boston for the second Wild Card spot in the American League.

However, the main story around the Yankees this week is that it’s the final week for Alex Rodriguez in pinstripes. Tonight, A-Rod plays his final game with the Yankees against Chris Archer in the Rays. I talked about how the Yankees mishandled the A-Rod situation and why I don’t think he deserves to have a plaque in Monument Park down the road.

The last time the Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays (46-67) faced each other was the series before the trade deadline (July 29-31). During that series, Kevin Cash’s squad outscored the Bronx Bombers 16-7, which ultimately led to New York becoming sellers at the trade deadline.

While the national spotlight is on A-Rod tonight, the Rays are having one of their new additions make their team debut tonight. That player is shortstop Matt Duffy, who was acquired from the Giants at the trade deadline for Matt Moore. Duffy has been out since June 19 because of an achilles injury.

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Since sweeping the Yankees, the Rays are 4-6 in the month of August and they are 12-13 since the All-Star Break. With Duffy playing shortstop, Brad Miller now moves over to first base. Miller has made 14 errors at shortstop this year, but he does have 20 home runs this season and he is hitting .322 over his last 87 at-bats.

Next: Why A-Rod Could Become First PED User In Hall Of Fame

Despite the struggles of Archer this season, the Rays have a 4.03 starters ERA this year, which is the third lowest in the AL East. One pitcher to watch is Jake Odorizzi (Sunday’s starter), who has a 1.13 ERA over his last five starts.

To talk more about the Rays, my guest on the Yanks Go Yard Radio Show last night was the editor of Rays Colored Glasses, Althea Pashman. Althea gave her take on the A-Rod situation and she talked more about the success third baseman Evan Longoria has had this season (.280, 25 home runs, 64 RBI’s). Here are some of the topics we discussed:

• Would you want Alex Rodriguez on the Rays this season or next season?
• Thoughts on what the Rays did at the trade deadline?
• Who is the most to blame for Tampa’s poor season this year?
• Pitching Matchup Breakdown
• Archer has held opponents to a .202 batting average over his last five starts.
• CC Sabathia (Tonight’s Yankees starter) has given up a pair of home runs in three consecutive outings
• What to expect from Matt Andriese (Tomorrow’s Rays starter)
• Masahiro Tanaka (Tomorrow’s Yankees starter) has yet to lose a game against the Rays
• Odorizzi has given up two runs against the Yankees in two starts this season
• Rays hitters to watch: Brad Miller and Logan Forsythe
• Yankees hitters to watch: Jacoby Ellsbury and Austin Romine

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