The Yankees found it “definitely a little bit odd” to occupy the visitors’ side of their spring facility on Thursday evening, as manager Aaron Boone put it, describing his team’s first experiences underneath the third-base grandstands of George M.

Oswaldo Cabrera hit a solo homer and Ben Rice had four hits and two RBIs as the visiting New York Yankees opened a four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays with a 6-3 win on Thursday night.

Pregame analysis and predictions of the New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays MLB game to be played on April 17, 2025 on ESPN.

Preview the April 18 matchup between the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees with recent trends, how to watch, livestream info, and more.

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Oddsmakers project the Yankees as a close favorite (-119 to win on the moneyline) against the Rays (-100). The scheduled starters are Carlos Rodon (1-3) for the New York Yankees, and Drew Rasmussen (1-0) for the Tampa Bay Rays.