Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays 7/29

The New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays begin an all-important three-game weekend set tonight in Tampa St. Pete as we inch closer and closer to the August 1^st trading deadline. The Yankees were thought to be dead and buried when looking at their second half schedule but the team has come out with all guns blazing and firing on all cylinders changing the entire dynamic of the decision making and the season for the Yankees. The Yankees would be the ultimate procrastinators if they wait until this series to decide whether to truly buy or sell this season but if tonight’s starter Ivan Nova can keep the good times rolling against Tampa’s Jake Odorizzi you never know what the team could do. They have the better part of four days left to decide.

Nova pitched extremely well in his last start and will look to put all the trade rumors behind him at least for a night for his start. Nova pitched seven innings against the San Francisco Giants last time out in a 2-1 extra-innings loss for New York giving up just one run and six hits while striking out seven. Nova had also earned the victory in each of his two starts prior to his last start as well meaning if the Yankees are going to trade him now is the time to do it while the iron is hot.

Odorizzi heads into this start leading the Major Leagues in a category you probably don’t want to be leading in, no decisions. Odorizzi threw eight innings of shutout baseball in his last start against the Oakland Athletics and still came away with one, let’s make it 13 tonight. Or a loss would be okay too, either way.

The game will be played at 7:10 pm ET inside Tropicana Field and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. It can also be seen live, I’m not sure if Tampa Bay Rays fans truly know that yet or not. I joke but really the attendance down there is horrendous, even for Yankees games. I’ve been to the stadium and it’s an absolute nightmare to navigate the area and get to the stadium and truth be told the stadium leaves much to be desired but still, it’s baseball. And it is cheap baseball, Tampa has some of the cheapest tickets in MLB. Oh well, Go Yankees whether anyone is there to see it or not.