Price is attempting to reach double-digits

Tampa Bay’s Blake Snell and Wilson Ramos are hoping they both get selected to the American League All-Star team. Saturday afternoon’s performance at Citi Field may have strengthened the batterymates’ chances.

Snell blanked the Mets over a career-high-tying 7 1/3 innings Joey Bosa Jersey , Ramos drove in a pair of runs and the Rays downed New York 3-0 on Saturday.

”I’d be pumped,” Snell said about the possibility of playing in the Midsummer Classic. ”I’d be stoked.”

A late afternoon start under clear blue skies featured two young left-handers at the top of their game in recent weeks, both successfully dodging a slew of baserunners early.

Ranked among the league leaders in several categories, the 25-year-old Snell was as advertised- keeping the Mets off the board despite allowing the leadoff runner to reach in six out of eight frames including each of the first four.

Snell (12-4) struck out nine, scattering six hits and three walks while lowering his AL-leading ERA to 2.09.

”Blake has been tremendous for us. He’s been the workhorse.” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. ”We’re talking about a potential All-Star candidate.”

The lanky lefty has yielded two runs or fewer in nine of his last 10 starts and is 4-0 with an 0.63 ERA over his last four outings, two against the Astros.

”He deserves to be in the All-Star Game because he’s had an awesome year,” Ramos said of the Rays starter. ”There’s nothing better than being with your teammates in the All-Star Game.”

The feeling is mutual.

”He needs to go,” Snell said, rallying for his backstop. ”It would be even cooler if I did go and pitch to him. I think that would be special for the both of us.”

After being held scoreless in 34 of their previous 36 innings, Tampa Bay finally broke through in the fifth. Matt Duffy lined a leadoff double down the right-field line, the fourth two-bagger surrendered by Mets starter Steven Matz to that point, advancing to third on a groundout.

Ramos followed with a sharp grounder to shortstop. A charging Amed Rosario booted the ball before recovering and throwing to first for the out. With Duffy running on contact, Rosario likely would have cut down the run at home had he fielded the ball cleanly. Instead, the Rays took a 1-0 lead.

”He just came in on it hard Nick Bosa Jersey ,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. ”He looked up just to see where the runner was and it hit off his heel.”

Matz (4-6) continued his recent surge, charged with one run on five hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings- striking out five. The Long Island native has allowed four earned runs across his last three starts, a span of 18 2/3 innings.

He escaped trouble early by getting Adeiny Hechavarria to fly out, ending a bases-loaded threat in the first. The Rays left seven men on in the first four innings and were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position during that stretch.

”I get in situations throughout the game where I can crumble,” Matz said. ”But I think just realizing what I’ve got to do out there, and just the task at hand, has really helped.”

Tampa Bay was 2 for 25 with runners in scoring position in the first two games of the series, stranding a total of 18.

The Rays added some insurance in the eighth on a bloop single by former Met Carlos Gomez, scoring Daniel Robertson. Ramos singled home a run in the ninth.

Sergio Romo pitched a scoreless ninth for his ninth save in 13 chances.

Neither Snell nor Matz had faced the opposing team before.

Jose Bautista was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts after hitting a game-ending grand slam in the series opener Friday night.

LOOSE LUMBER

Both starting third basemen lost the grip on their bats an inning apart. Todd Frazier swung at a fastball in the bottom of the fourth, fouling it off and also sending his bat deep into foul territory down the third base line. Duffy had a similar experience in the fifth, letting go of his lumber and causing it to fly towards the Rays’ on-deck circle.

CLOSE CALL

The Rays had a brief scare in the second when Snell’s pitching hand was grazed by a 92-mph sinker. The southpaw took his base and did not appear to be in pain.

”I’m happy that it didn’t really hit me hard,” Snell said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: Rookie infielder Willy Adames was scratched from the starting lineup. ”He’s just under the weather,” Cash said. ”He was battling a bug last night and I think he woke up this morning a little bit worse.” … RHP Jake Faria (strained left oblique) was scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with high-A Charlotte Saturday night. … INF Christian Arroyo (strained left oblique) could play for Charlotte on Monday but the club is not fully committed to that plan, according to Cash.

Mets: LF Yoenis Cespedes (right hip) is continuing baseball activities including running straight sprints L.J. Collier Jersey , although he has yet to begin turning the bases to simulate a double. ”Trying to figure out that schedule as we go along,” said Callaway about when his club’s top slugger might play in a rehab game. ”All that’s going to be based on how he bounces back day-to-day.”

UP NEXT

Rays: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (2-3, 3.92 ERA) pitches in the rubber game on Sunday. He has allowed just two runs over his last two starts, a span of twelve innings in which he fanned 14 batters.

Mets: RHP Chris Flexen (0-1, 10.80 ERA in 3 relief appearances) will make his first start of the season.

NEW YORK — When the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox get together for their next series, both teams could feature somewhat different rosters.

After Sunday’s finale of the three-game series at Yankee Stadium, the longtime rivals will not meet again until Aug. 2 at Fenway Park — two days after the non-waiver trade deadline.

Both teams will play 25 games before the next installment of the rivalry.

The teams head into the ninth meeting with four wins apiece after Chris Sale fanned 11 in seven one-hit innings in an 11-0 rout Saturday. Rafael Devers hit a grand slam among a career-high five hits while J.D. Martinez drove in three runs as the Red Sox rebounded from opening the series with an 8-1 loss Friday.

Devers has 14 RBIs in his last 12 games while Martinez is hitting .432 with 12 of his major league-leading 67 RBIs in his last nine games.

The Yankees will be looking to rebound from getting shut out for the fourth time this season and third time since June 23.

Off the field, trade talks were a popular topic as both Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Red Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski addressed it.

The Yankees are in the market for a starting pitcher to bolster the back end of their rotation anchored by Sunday’s starting pitcher Luis Severino (12-2, 2.10 ERA).

With the crosstown New York Mets falling to one of the worst records in the National League, talk of a possible deal for Jacob deGrom is circulating, though Toronto’s J.A. Happ or Texas Rangers left-hander Cole Hamels could be more realistic.

“If the best business decisions happened to be with a rival, that’s not a problem for me,” said Cashman on Friday, while noting he has been in touch with Omar Minaya http://www.thetexansfootballauthentic.com/lonnie-johnson-jersey-authentic , one of three men holding the Mets GM role in Sandy Alderson’s leave of absence. “As far as I’m concerned it match just makes sense, I don’t care who (it’s) with.

As for the Red Sox, they already filled a need by adding a right-handed hitting first baseman in Steve Pearce. Pearce was obtained Thursday night from the Toronto Blue Jays but Dombrowski said Saturday the deal could have been completed earlier and any changes would not be overly significant.

“People are calling, and you just kind of check in and make sure they know what’s taking place and vice versa,” Dombrowski said Saturday afternoon. “The one thing with us is, we’re going to try to be the best club we can, regardless of what the Yankees do. And we all know that they have a really good team.”

Neither team is motivated to get something done now and both executives will watch Severino face David Price (9-5, 3.66) in a matchup of pitchers who are rolling of late.

Severino can become the first 13-game winner in the majors after he allowed six hits in seven scoreless innings Tuesday in Philadelphia.

“There’s no question that he’s our ace, and we know that when he gets the ball, he has a chance to dominate and we have a good chance to get it done that day,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday.

Severino also is 7-0 with a 1.83 ERA in nine home starts this season. He also is 10-0 with a 1.98 ERA in his last 13 regular season home starts, the longest streak at home since David Cone went 16 starts without a home loss from Aug. 17, 1997, to Aug. 27 http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-marquise-blair-jersey , 1998.

Severino’s home unbeaten streak matches Seattle’s Wade LeBlanc for the longest active streak in the majors.

The right-hander has turned in 14 straight starts without allowing more than three runs. It is the longest active streak in the majors and the longest by a Yankee starting pitcher since Rudy May from Aug. 2, 1980-April 20, 1981.

Besides racking up wins, Severino also is maintaining velocity, especially late in outings. His 98th pitch Tuesday was tracked at 100.1 mph, was among 12 at least 100 mph and his 44 pitches tracked at 100 leads all starting pitchers.

Severino’s last home loss was to the Boston Red Sox on Sept. 3. He is 2-5 with a 4.61 ERA in 10 appearances (nine starts) against Boston.

Price is 7-1 with a 2.72 ERA in his last nine starts and has allowed three earned runs or fewer in each outing. He last pitched Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels and recorded his ninth win by allowing one run and five hits in six innings.

Things are going so well that he ended his press conference following his last outing by making fun of his carpal tunnel syndrome that some speculated was due to playing the video game Fortnite and kept him out of a game in New York in May.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to go, so I don’t think so,” Price said before adding “Yeah, Fortnite.”

Price is attempting to reach double-digits in wins before the All-Star break for the first time since 2012 with Tampa Bay and third time overall.

The left-hander is 15-12 with a 4.67 ERA in 39 appearances (38 starts) against the Yankees. At the current Yankee Stadium, he is 8-6 with a 4.27 ERA in 19 starts.

Since joining the Red Sox in 2016, he is 2-4 with a 7.42 ERA in eight starts against the Yankees.