Two AL East teams face off to begin a three-game series.

The Tampa Bay Rays find themselves at the third-place spot in the AL East. With a record of 60-53, a few wins over the Yankees in this series could see them move up.

As always, beating the Yankees is much easier said than done. They’ve also yet to decide on a pitcher for tonight’s game, which could be a problem.

The Rays are considered a “middle of the road” batting team with an average of .238. Considering they’re facing one of the Yankees' best pitchers, an average team might not cut it. The good news is they have a bit of momentum after winning two in a row.

Both of their recent wins were over the Baltimore Orioles, another AL East team. If they can capitalize on the road tonight, they could catch the Yankees off-guard.

Getting the start for the Yankees tonight is Gerrit Cole, the 9-4 starter with an ERA of 3.38. With Cole on the mound, the Yankees definitely have the advantage in terms of pitching.

New York is slightly better at the plate than the Rays when looking at statistics. They have a .242 batting average with an on-base percentage of .328.

They are, however, coming off of a 3-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox. Since they were playing on the road, we’ll chalk that loss up to being in unfamiliar territory.

We believe the best pick in this game is the New York Yankees based on their starting pitcher. Cole is a strong starter with a proven record and knows how to close an inning.

Look for the Yankees to get a quick start tonight and get a win at home over the Rays.

Ricky’s Pick: New York Yankees -240, UNDER