Sonny Gray Looking For Another Dominate Performance As New York's Chase For The Postseason Continues As They Take On Tampa Bay

Sonny Gray who shut out Baltimore his last time out will take the mound Tuesday for game two as he and New York face Tampa Bay but not in Florida at Tropicana Field instead New York will travel to Citi Field by subway.

The Yankees may wear their road greys on Tuesday, but they'll be in a New York state of mind when they take on the Rays at Citi Field for the second of three games. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170912253728612/gray-snell-up-next-in-yanks-rays-citi-series/?game_pk=492264

The series, which was relocated to the Mets' home ballpark because of Hurricane Irma, gives the Yankees 16 of their remaining 19 games in New York. Does that give manager Joe Girardi's club an advantage as it tries to secure a postseason berth? "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170912253728612/gray-snell-up-next-in-yanks-rays-citi-series/?game_pk=492264

I think people are probably going to assume that, but really, it comes down to who plays the best, no matter where you're at," Girardi said. "You get to sleep in your own bed; yeah, that's nice. We have a lot of home games left. You try to take advantage of your home ballpark." "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170912253728612/gray-snell-up-next-in-yanks-rays-citi-series/?game_pk=492264

Sonny Gray will take the mound for his eighth start with the Yankees, having gone 3-4 despite a solid 2.74 ERA. He has faced the Rays twice this season, going 1-0 with a 2.92 ERA against them. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170912253728612/gray-snell-up-next-in-yanks-rays-citi-series/?game_pk=492264

He'll face off against Blake Snell, who had been throwing well for two months prior to his previous start. Snell posted a 3-1 record and 2.93 ERA over a 10-start stretch between July 5 and Sept. 1, but the Twins knocked him around for six runs on seven hits over four innings on Wednesday in his worst outing since June. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170912253728612/gray-snell-up-next-in-yanks-rays-citi-series/?game_pk=492264

"Just the fastball command," Snell said when asked what bothered him most about that start. "I feel like my offspeed has been really good. I was upset that I kept some a little up; I'm usually pretty good at spiking it and keeping it down. I had a really good bullpen [session] and worked on it, so I'll be ready for my next start." "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170912253728612/gray-snell-up-next-in-yanks-rays-citi-series/?game_pk=492264

Snell has faced the Yankees twice this season, allowing three earned runs over 10 innings. Both of those starts came at Yankee Stadium, and although Tuesday's game will also take place in New York, it will be a different background as the Rays call Citi Field their home for two more games. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170912253728612/gray-snell-up-next-in-yanks-rays-citi-series/?game_pk=492264

"I'm excited for it. Road or home, I'm going to be ready, and we're all going to be prepared," Snell said. "I look at every start as the same; I have to go out there, I have to be ready, have to be at my best, and I have to give the team a chance to win. That's all I try to focus on." "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170912253728612/gray-snell-up-next-in-yanks-rays-citi-series/?game_pk=492264

Gray's ground-ball rate had dropped from 57.8 percent with the A's to 46.2 percent over his first six outings with the Yankees, including 33.3 percent on Sept. 1 against Boston. But that rate bounced back to 72.2 percent last Thursday in Baltimore for his third-highest mark of the season. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170912253728612/gray-snell-up-next-in-yanks-rays-citi-series/?game_pk=492264

Yankees rookie Clint Frazier was activated from the 10-day disabled list on Monday after missing 31 games with an injured left oblique. Girardi said that Frazier, the Yankees' No. 2 prospect, will likely be back in the lineup on Tuesday. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170912253728612/gray-snell-up-next-in-yanks-rays-citi-series/?game_pk=492264

Steven Souza Jr. should return to the lineup for Tampa Bay on Tuesday, having sat out the past three games with a bruised left knee. Souza Jr. sustained the injury running into a wall at Fenway Park on Friday night. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170912253728612/gray-snell-up-next-in-yanks-rays-citi-series/?game_pk=492264

As for the opener between New York and Tampa Bay, New York came out on top. 

Every team in the majors has the same goal around this time in September and that's to get to the postseason and New York continued to head that way as they beat Tampa Bay in the opener of a three game series Monday.

Evan Longoria had joked that there is no such thing as a "neutral site" when playing against the Yankees, whose followers always seem to travel quite well. Todd Frazier's three-run homer highlighted a five-run fourth inning as the Bombers made the Interborough trip a memorable one, powering a 5-1 victory over the Rays on Monday evening at Citi Field. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/253727858/yankees-score-5-in-4th-to-beat-rays-at-citi/

In the first of three games relocated to Queens by Hurricane Irma, right-hander Jake Odorizzi held New York hitless through the first three innings before requiring 51 pitches to record two outs in the fourth, a barrage highlighted by Frazier's 24th homer of the season and his eighth since being traded to the Yankees. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/253727858/yankees-score-5-in-4th-to-beat-rays-at-citi/

"It just seems like when you come to the ballpark right now, something good is going to happen," Frazier said. "It could be any guy, and it has been. The pitching has been there, the hitting has been there, and we're clicking right now at the right time." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/253727858/yankees-score-5-in-4th-to-beat-rays-at-citi/

With their eighth victory in 11 games, the Yankees moved within three games of the idle Red Sox in the American League East race. Tampa Bay fell four games behind the Twins for the second AL Wild Card; the Yankees hold the first AL Wild Card spot. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/253727858/yankees-score-5-in-4th-to-beat-rays-at-citi/

In just the second game ever played at Citi Field using a designated hitter -- the 2013 All-Star Game was the first -- CC Sabathia navigated just 4 1/3 innings of one-run, six-hit ball before yielding to the bullpen. David Robertson hurled a career-high 2 2/3 innings to pick up the victory in relief. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/253727858/yankees-score-5-in-4th-to-beat-rays-at-citi/

I feel good. I just tried to throw a lot of strikes," Robertson said. "The defense was playing great behind me, the guys were making unbelievable plays. As long as I kept getting soft contact, I was happy." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/253727858/yankees-score-5-in-4th-to-beat-rays-at-citi/

Tampa Bay's Adeiny Hechavarria had three hits, finishing a homer shy of the cycle. The Yankees have won nine of 14 contests against the Rays this season. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/253727858/yankees-score-5-in-4th-to-beat-rays-at-citi/

"We lost the game in one inning," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "The fourth inning was the game, basically. Both offenses from that point were fairly shut down afterwards." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/253727858/yankees-score-5-in-4th-to-beat-rays-at-citi/

Odorizzi thought he might have been out of the fourth inning when Matt Holliday smashed a two-out grounder to third base, but the ball skipped past Trevor Plouffe for a two-base error, and Gary Sanchez chugged all the way home from first base. Jacoby Ellsbury reached on a catcher's interference error that prolonged the inning and Odorizzi was never able to record that final out. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/253727858/yankees-score-5-in-4th-to-beat-rays-at-citi/

Once, what can you do? Twice, you don't know what to do," Odorizzi said. "I knew from that point on. They scored two runs, it was a 2-1 game, and two guys were on that shouldn't be. I was trying to limit the damage the best I could." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/253727858/yankees-score-5-in-4th-to-beat-rays-at-citi/

Sabathia escaped trouble in the third inning after a pair of infield hits, but Yankees manager Joe Girardi did not permit the left-hander any extra leeway in the fifth. Sabathia was yanked after 88 pitches with a four-run lead in favor of Robertson, who struck out Longoria looking and Lucas Duda swinging to strand two runners. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/253727858/yankees-score-5-in-4th-to-beat-rays-at-citi/

"[Sabathia] was not sharp tonight. He had to battle all night," Girardi said. "He threw a lot of pitches, and Longoria has probably been the guy who has hurt him as much as anyone in the game. I knew I had Robbie for multiple innings; didn't know I was going to go 2 2/3, but he kept his pitch count down, which allowed me to do that. I kind of felt like that was the game right there, so I went to him." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/253727858/yankees-score-5-in-4th-to-beat-rays-at-citi/

 New York and Tampa Bay will continue their three game series tonight at Citi Field which is home to the New York Mets. Right -hander Sonny Gray who has a record of 9-9 with a 3.22 earn run average will start for New York. Gray, shut out the Orioles on Thursday, The first time he's held an opponent scoreless and just the second time fewer than two runs in a start since being traded from the A's to the Yankees. He will take on Tampa Bay left-hander Blake Snell who has a record of 3-6 with a 4.36 earn run average. Snell did not feel like he was using his fastball as well as he wanted in Wednesday's no-decision against the Twins. He lasted just four innings, snapping a career long streak of five  straight starts with 6 IP or longer.   "according to   https://www.mlb.com/gameday/yankees-vs-rays/2017/09/12/492264#game_state=preview,game_tab=,game=492264

Will the New York offense be able to get it going against Blake Snell? Will Tampa Bay be able to get their offense going against Sonny Gray who threw a shut out his last time out? 

First pitch is set for 7:10 pm. The game will be televised on Major League Baseball Network,  Yes, and Fox Sports Sun. "according to https://www.mlb.com/gameday/yankees-vs-rays/2017/09/12/492264#game_state=preview,game_tab=,game=492264