5:33 PM ET
Marly RiveraESPN Writer
The New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays are playing nice … for now.
The Yankees-Rays competition has transferred to October with an AL East face-off in the American League Division Series that begins Monday at Petco Park in San Diego. However do not expect their regular-season displeasure to rear its ugly head in the best-of-five division series.
A minimum of that is what both clubs are stating before the first pitch.
” I think our gamers have shown time-and-time once again that they deal with– whatever outside elements exist– they manage their company on the field actually, actually well, and our focus is going to go to win a series,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said on a video call Friday. “Find a way to win a series against a great group that has actually gotten healthier here since late.”
CloseMarly Rivera is a writer for ESPNdeportes.com and ESPN.com.
1 RelatedAfter sweeping the Cleveland Indians in the wild-card round, Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone labeled the Rays the “huge, bad, No. 1 seed of the AL East” and ensured to minimize the hostility of their regular-season matches.
” We desire to win and advance whichs where our focus is going to lie. We dont want to get captured up in the back-and-forth,” Boone stated. “Theres going to be things that show up that probably become a bit contentious within the series, however Im positive that our guys will do an excellent task of keeping their blinders on. We understand whats at stake. I am positive thats where our focus will be.”
Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier has always been candid about the bitterness in between the AL East competitors. “I do not think theyre the biggest fans of us, and vice versa,” Kiermaier stated after their contentious regular-season series. “We do not like them; they dont like us.”
Nonetheless, the center fielder stated the Rays will dedicate all their attention to the franchises very first postseason bout with the Yankees, in which he insinuated they will be out to show the “Evil Empire” is paid too much and exaggerated.
” Were a small-market group with a low payroll, not a whole lot of home names, however with a lot of really great, above average, quality Major League Baseball gamers, male, one through 28. We understand we can beat anybody,” Kiermaier stated. “Theyre a big-market team, everyone knows the Yankees, substantial payroll.
The last regular-season Rays-Yankees series remained in early September and included the video game in which Aroldis Chapmans 101 mph fastball approached Mike Brosseaus head, resulting in fines and suspensions. That is but a little sample of why the groups do not like each other.
The Rays and Yankees have created quotes that are the stuff of marketing legend.
The “savages in the box” expression came out of a Boone expletive-packed outburst against umpire Brennan Millers strike zone throughout a video game vs. Tampa Bay. Cashs “I have a whole damn stable loaded with guys that throw 98″ remained in reaction to Chapmans pitch at Brosseau. Chapman got a three-game suspension, which will be served on appeal in 2021, and Boone and Cash were suspended one video game each for their postgame remarks that day.
Will that history fuel the series?
Thats the method its constantly been, the way it always will be,” Kiermaier said Friday. “What occurred, took place, and Im not gon na say we forgot about that because we havent.
” But from here on moving on, were going to attempt to play our finest baseball, great, clean Rays baseball. I truly think whatever has happened up to this point might matter extremely little bit. I understand everybody most likely desires a great deal of content in quotes about what occurred earlier but, moving on, we will do whatever in our power to remain focused and preserve that in order to win.”
We do not want to get caught up in the back-and-forth,” Boone said. “Theres going to be things that come up that most likely become a little bit controversial within the series, but Im positive that our guys will do an excellent task of keeping their blinders on. “I do not believe theyre the greatest fans of us, and vice versa,” Kiermaier said after their contentious regular-season series. Thats the way its always been, the method it always will be,” Kiermaier said Friday. “What took place, happened, and Im not gon na state we forgot about that due to the fact that we have not.
