New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Gerrit Cole vs. Shane McClanahan

The Yankees kinda stink right now, and a flat trade deadline seemed to take out what little wind remained in their sails. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that tonight should be one of the best pitching matchups of the year, as two of the leading Cy Young candidates in the AL square off in the Bronx.

Fresh off his seven inning, shutout performance against the Orioles, Cole would be the odds-on favorite for the AL Cy Young if the voting was held today. He’s on a serious roll of late, striking out 26 batters and allowing just three runs over his last three starts. In true Yankee fashion, he hasn’t been awarded a win in any of those outings, even coming up empty with seven scoreless in Baltimore last time out. But you can be fairly sure Cole will deliver a dynamite start every time he takes the ball.

For his part, Shane McClanahan is having an excellent season as well. The lefty boasts a 3.00 ERA, and while he’s not quite replicating his gawdy 2022 season, there’s no question he’s a tough assignment for a fairly morose Yankee lineup. If you want to be an optimist, the Yankees did handle him well in his only start against them this season, as he was done after four innings, surrendering a pair of home runs.

How to watch

Location: Yankee Stadium — Bronx, NY

First pitch: 7:05 pm ET

TV broadcast: Amazon Prime – NYY / Bally Sports Sun — TB

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9, WADO 1280

Online stream: MLB.tv

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