Last night, a tense first battle of the season with divisional rival Tampa Bay ended in a 5-4 defeat for the Yankees. New York hit Rays star Randy Arozarena twice after his home run and ensuing celebration, setting off some tensions. For what it’s worth, while Rays’ skipper Kevin Cash was thrown out after the umpires issued warnings, both managers downplayed the kerfuffle postgame, insisting there was no intention behind the plunkings (which is entirely plausible given Jhony Brito and Albert Abreu’s control issues). Either way, if the Bombers — 10 games back of the Rays as they sit in last place in the AL East — want to gain ground in their division, they’ll have to bear down in Game 2 of this series.
New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays: Domingo Germán vs. Drew Rasmussen
