There's little doubt that the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees have established themselves as the top teams in the AL East, the division New York reclaimed last year after the Rays won it in 2008.
They also may be the two best clubs in baseball.
Tampa Bay can bolster its early lead on the Yankees and extend its latest winning streak to five on Wednesday night, but to do so the Rays will need to end a string of six straight losses in the Bronx.
New York (25-14) has begun defense of its World Series title in strong fashion only to be overshadowed by the Rays, who are the only team in the majors with a better record.
Tampa Bay (28-11) dropped two of three to the Yankees at home from April 9-11, but manager Joe Maddon's team - already with a three-game lead - has a chance to make a statement in New York before beginning interleague play.
"It's going to be fun going up there, as it should be," said Maddon, whose team has gone 15-4 on the road in 2010 but was outscored 31-12 while losing its last six in the Bronx last season.
"You want to be on the top. You want to play the best teams. You want to play in the best division. I think it's great," Maddon added. "Our guys will be ready for it. Our game's a pretty good game right now. We haven't hit to our potential yet, but we've been doing everything else."
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Rays vs. Yankees
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