First pitch 7:05 p.m. ET
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
This is the series finale of a four-game set. The Rays clinched the AL East (and the AL’s top seed) earlier in the series with a 6-1 win on Tuesday behind Drew Rasmussen. The Yankees responded with a 9-2 victory on Wednesday (Ben Rice hit two homers, including a leadoff shot for Nos. 40 and 41; Ryan McMahon added a grand slam). New York has locked in a wild-card berth and home-field advantage for the Wild Card Series. Both teams are playing for seeding, momentum, and final regular-season positioning with the postseason approaching.
Starting Pitchers
Rays: LHP Ian Seymour (9-7, 4.38 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 155 K in 127.1 IP over 15 starts / 45 total appearances). The left-hander has shown strong strikeout ability but has been inconsistent late in the season (higher ERA in recent outings). He gets an extra day of rest after the Rays’ clinch.
Yankees: RHP Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.94 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 234 K in 190.2 IP over 32 starts). The 25-year-old has emerged as New York’s ace with elite run prevention, a high strikeout rate, and outstanding command. One of the best pitchers in baseball this season.
Schlittler holds a substantial edge in ERA, WHIP, workload, and overall dominance. Seymour’s strikeout upside provides some counter, but the matchup heavily favors the Yankees’ starter.
Current Weather Forecast (Yankee Stadium)
Mostly sunny to partly cloudy, high near 67-69°F with northeast winds 15-25 mph (gusts possible up to 30+ mph). Dry conditions expected for the evening (low rain chance). Cool, breezy fall night with lows in the mid-50s. Wind could influence ball flight at Yankee Stadium.
Injury Reports
Rays:
Shane McClanahan (SP, forearm) – 15-day IL (ruled out for ALDS).
Garrett Cleavinger (RP, forearm), Tyler Wells (SP, forearm), Manuel Rodriguez (RP, back) – 15-day IL.
Longer-term: Gavin Lux (shoulder), Edwin Uceta (shoulder), Jonathan Heasley (elbow), Ryan Pepiot (hip) – 60-day IL.
Yankees:
Aaron Judge (RF, calf) and Trent Grisham (CF, hamstring) – 10-day IL (both targeting possible postseason returns; recent baseball activity reported).
Giancarlo Stanton (DH, calf) – 60-day IL (progressing with live at-bats).
Fernando Cruz (RP, elbow), Ryan Weathers (SP, forearm) – 15-day IL.
Clarke Schmidt (RP/SP, biceps) – day-to-day/probable.
Both clubs are managing key absences carefully ahead of October.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups / Notable Performers
Junior Caminero / Yandy Díaz / Chandler Simpson (Rays) – Caminero tied for the AL lead with 41 HR; Díaz provides contact and RBI production; Simpson leading average contributors.
Ben Rice / Ryan McMahon / Jazz Chisholm Jr. / Cody Bellinger (Yankees) – Rice (41 HR, multi-homer Wednesday) is a massive power threat; McMahon delivered a grand slam and five RBI on Wednesday; Chisholm and Bellinger add speed and extra-base hits.
Seymour (lefty) vs. Yankees right-handed power (Rice, etc.) and Schlittler vs. Tampa Bay’s balanced lineup will be central. Yankee Stadium’s short porch favors left-handed power and pull hitters.
Recent Team Forms
Rays: Strong overall (7-3 in last 10 in reports); clinched AL East. Excellent pitching staff and timely offense. Road record solid.
Yankees: 6-4 in last 10; explosive offense capable of big innings (as seen Wednesday). Strong home record (44-33). Pitching has been excellent with Schlittler leading the way.
Series History (2026)
Yankees lead the current series 2-1 after the Wednesday blowout (Rays took one game of the Tuesday doubleheader to clinch). Competitive season-long rivalry with split results in earlier meetings. Both teams know each other well heading into potential postseason rematches.
Betting Trends
Unders have been viable in recent low-to-moderate scoring games in the series. Schlittler’s dominance supports New York as a solid favorite.
Game Odds
Tampa Bay Rays 6
New York Yankees – 145
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, September 23, 2026
