Yankees vs Rays at Steinbrenner Field brings late-summer drama: a Tampa weather delay, Shane Baz starting for Tampa Bay, and New York’s bats erupting — including back-to-back-to-back homers. Get start-time/rain-delay updates, TV info, key matchups, and why this two-game set matters.
Fast facts (what fans needed first)
- Matchup: New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays
- Venue: George M. Steinbrenner Field (Tampa)
- Pitching probables: Carlos Rodón (NYY) vs Shane Baz (TB).
- Status: Game experienced a rain delay in Tampa; club issued staged safety updates and targeted first pitch after storms passed.
- Early fireworks: The Yankees launched back-to-back-to-back HRs in the 1st off Shane Baz (Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Giancarlo Stanton), part of a blistering start at their spring home.
- Video receipts: Judge’s 40th of the season came off Baz — MLB posted the clip.
The rain-delay timeline & Tampa weather angle
Welcome to August in Tampa: hot, humid, pop-up storms. Thirty minutes can flip from sunshine to lightning protocol. The Rays’ game-update hub documented the sequence: delay, safety advisories to clear the seating bowl, then an “all clear” before aiming at a revised first pitch time later in the evening.
Local and fan outlets tracked the delay with specifics (original 7:35 p.m. ET first pitch pushed back due to storms around Steinbrenner Field), reinforcing how outdoor baseball in Tampa differs from the usual Tropicana Field dome routine.
Bottom line: Weather was a real factor, but once the all-clear came, New York emerged from the delay far sharper — and very loud.
Shane Baz’s spotlight: talent vs. test
Shane Baz took the ball for Tampa Bay — a high-octane righty whose raw stuff still flashes ace traits. Handed Carlos Rodón as the counterpart, Baz had to thread a needle: get ahead, finish with the slider, and keep Judge/Bellinger/Stanton from lifting mistakes. Preview notes ahead of first pitch framed Baz’s 2025 line as uneven, highlighting the volatility that makes him fascinating and fragile at once.
In the first inning, the Yankees punished any execution slippage: three homers in seven pitches — a rare MLB feat — all charged to Baz. MLB’s recap underscored the sequence; the New York Post added context that it’s the third time the Yankees have done “back-to-back-to-back” in 2025, which is historically uncommon.
Some betting guides even leaned under on Baz’s outs given New York’s hot form and his 2025 efficiency profile — a call that looked prescient once the first-inning barrage hit.
Why Steinbrenner Field matters tonight
If you’re used to Yankees vs. Rays under a roof at the Trop, tonight’s setting is different. Remodeling and scheduling quirks have created select dates at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees’ spring home across the bay. That means:
- Weather exposure: Rain/lightning protocols can interrupt the cadence of a game (and pitchers’ routines). We saw that up close.
- Sightlines & carry: Florida summer air is heavy, but when it’s hot and the wind behaves, balls fly. New York’s three early homers were a striking exhibit.
- Fan experience: Different broadcast/ops footprint; but the same rivalry energy.
The Yankees’ offensive blueprint vs Baz & the Rays
- Hunt heaters early. Judge/Bellinger/Stanton were on time and hunting velocity. MLB’s highlight reel of Judge’s 40th came on a center-cut mistake that didn’t come back.
- Shrink the zone after damage. Once ahead, New York forced Tampa Bay into the zone and piled on later (Ben Rice and Giancarlo Stanton joined the party in subsequent frames per MLB’s game story).
- Protect leads with Rodón. A strikeout-friendly matchup for Carlos Rodón against a Rays lineup that can swing and miss when pressing. Early strikeout clips vs. Christopher Morel matched the plan.
Stakes check: Why this two-game set matters
A Rays blog framed it bluntly: Tampa Bay entered the mini-series 6.5 games out of the Wild Card, making the Yankees’ visit feel like a season hinge. New York, meanwhile, had just found form again after a sweep and trade-deadline bullpen upgrades. Pitching probables Baz vs Rodón and Rasmussen vs Schlittler (Wednesday) carry real swing potential in the standings.
Analytics snapshot / TV listings:
- ESPN’s game capsule listed Steinbrenner Field with gametime weather in the high 80s — again underlining the heat/humidity context.
- Several betting/previews leaned Yankees given recent offense.
Belli of the East 💪 pic.twitter.com/7uvwIRXnlI
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 20, 2025
What we learned from the first half of the game
- New York’s stars are tracking up. Judge notched HR No. 40 — a milestone blast off Baz — while the lineup depth (Stanton, Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr.) kept stacking damage.
- Momentum beats delay. Coming out of a Tampa weather pause, timing favors the team that resets faster. The Yankees did.
- Rays need traffic. Against Rodón’s mix, Tampa Bay required baserunners to stress pitch counts. The early deficit forced them into chase mode. (MLB’s live story captured small-ball responses like the Chandler Simpson RBI before the scoreboard spread again.)
How to watch & follow (tonight and tomorrow)
- TV/Streaming: Check local YES (Yankees), Rays regional partners, or national listings; ESPN carried the capsule and matchup page; MLB’s game center has live video highlights and play-by-play.
- Live updates & weather: The Rays’ game-update page is the authority during in-stadium delays. Keep it pinned for official timing and safety notices.
Backgrounder: The rivalry in 2025
- Form guide: Yankees arrived with a road win streak and renewed power profile; Rays returned from a grueling road swing needing a jolt.
- Personnel narratives:
- Judge: shoulder management earlier this year, but the power never left.
- Baz: electric stuff, command consistency still the final step.
- Rodón: veteran lefty trending solidly; early K highlight vs. Morel underscored feel for the slider/fastball tunnel.