The set-up: Tampa Bat Rays opened the season by taking two of three at home over the NY Yankees but Monday afternoon, the Yanks opened a three-game series against the Rays in the Bronx by winning 8-1. The teams took Tuesday off and resume their three-game series with another day game at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. New York's win on Monday ended Tampa Bay's three-game winning streak, leaving the Rays at 5-3 to start the 2017 season and upping the Yankees' mark to 3-4.

The pitching matchup: Blake Snell (0-0 & 5.40 ERA) will take the mound for Tampa Bay, opposed by New York's Jordan Montgomery, who will make his major-league debut. Snell completed 6 2/3 innings and walked five in his season debut but one big mistake got him in major trouble. He served up a grand slam to Kendrys Morales in a 5-2 loss to Toronto last Thursday. Snell went 6-8 with a 3.54 ERA in his rookie season of 2016 (team was 7-12 in his 19 starts, minus-$531). He was 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA in four starts against the Yankees last year (Rays were 2-2). The left-handed Montgomery won the fifth starter role with a solid spring training performance, striking out 17 and posting a 3.20 ERA in 19 2/3 innings of work. He went 14-5 with a 2.13 ERA in 25 starts at Triple-A and Double A last season. The Yankees decided to move Luis Severino back a day to give Montgomery the start after he pitched five innings of one-run, three-hit ball with Class A Tampa as a tune-up.

The pick: We've got two young pitchers in this one but the edge goes to Snell, who has seen this Yankee lineup before. Montgomery outperformed pitchers such as Luis Cessa and Chad Green during spring training to earn a spot in the starting rotation but the jury is surely still out. Make Tampa Bay a 10* play.