Yankees, Arozarena help bring big crowds to series with Rays

By MARK DIDTLER
Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays are off to one of the best starts in Major League Baseball history. But it took a visit by the New York Yankees to bring the big crowd to Tropicana Field. The players feel the intensity. Rays first baseman Yandy Díaz says taking on the Yankees in front of the charged atmosphere “feels like you’re playing in the World Series.”  The first series this season between the AL East foes had the Rays opening up the normally closed upper deck. The attendance Saturday was 27,708, which topped the season-high 25,025 from opening day against the Detroit Tigers. Sunday’s game was even better with a turnout of 32,142, the largest for a regular-seasom game in seven years.