ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Bring on the Tigers.
That’s who the Yankees will face in Game 1 of the best-of-5 ALDS on Friday night at Yankee Stadium.
The pitching matchup is CC Sabathia against likely AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander.
Yet, before you get to that delicious setup, the Yankees were involved in several developments Wednesday at Tropicana Field.
The Rays, locked in a tight battle with the Red Sox for the final ticket to the playoffs, spotted the Yankees seven runs in the first five innings then rallied to win 8-7 in 12 on Evan Longoria’s home run off Scott Proctor.
The Rays won the AL Wild Card with the victory and the Red Sox’s 4-3 loss to the Orioles in Baltimore moments earlier. The Red Sox led 3-2 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth before the Orioles got three hits in a row to win.
The Rays scored sixth runs in the eighth when Boone Logan and Luis Ayala, who will be members of Joe Girardi’s postseason roster, melted.
Pinch-hitter Dan Johnson tied it 7-7 in the ninth with a home run off Cory Wade with the Rays down to their last strike.
And there were even bigger issues dancing in the Yankees’ universe.
Alex Rodriguez was scratched less than an hour before the first pitch due to a sore right knee. That news followed Rodriguez saying his timing, not an injury, was the cause of a recent slide.