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Red Sox Rivals Battle For AL East Bragging Rights originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
American League East bragging rights are on the line tonight when the first-place Tampa Bay Rays visit the Bronx for a three-game series with the second-place New York Yankees.
The Rays own a surprising 4.5-game lead on the Yankees as we approach Memorial Day weekend, thanks in part to their three-game sweep of New York last month in Tampa.
Meanwhile the Boston Red Soxlag in fourth place, 11.5 games behind the Rays.
Sadly, MLB.com's Will Leitch predicts the AL East will remain a two-team race down the stretch and says it shapes up to be the best division race.
"The Yankees, in control so recently, are now just trying to make sure the division doesn’t get away from them," Leitch says. "It’s the perfect time for (Gerrit) Cole to make his season debut on Friday night, with the Rays in town and feeling like they’re on top of the world.
"The Rays have ridden their starting pitching to all this success -- their starters boast a 3.00 ERA, the best in baseball -- but even with (Max) Fried’s absence, the return of Cole and (Carlos) Rodón would seem to give the Yankees a surface advantage," Leitch adds.
"If the Yankees can restore a little order this weekend, at least winning two out of three, it’s not difficult to see them crawling their way back above the Rays," Leitch concludes. "But then again: If things go wrong in the Bronx between now and Memorial Day, the Rays’ division lead could balloon to a level that may take the Yankees the entire summer to overcome, if they even can."
FanGraphs gives the Yankees a 59.6% chance of winning the AL East, followed by the Rays at 35.3%.
As for the Red Sox? FanGraphs gives Boston a 2.1% chance of winning the division, but a 32.8% chance of making the playoffs as a wild card.
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