Tampa Bay @ New York preview
Yankee Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jul 17, 2010 ) Tampa Bay 10, NY Yankees 5
It’s been an emotional weekend at Yankee Stadium with a look back at some of the history of the storied franchise. What better way to cap that weekend than with a pitcher who ranks among the best the team has ever produced.
Andy Pettitte will be looking to continue his strong campaign when the New York Yankees close out a three-game set against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.
With the passing of legendary PA announcer Bob Sheppard and owner George Steinbrenner over the past week, the Yankees honored the two men prior to the series opener with an emotional ceremony on Friday. That included a speech by Derek Jeter to a sold-out crowd and the absence of any announcements over the PA system in honor of Sheppard.
Saturday was a day to honor some of the living members of the franchise with the annual Old Timers game.
And today, Pettitte, who was a part of five World Series winners during Steinbrenner’s tenure with the team, will attempt to honor the current crop of Yankees with his 12th win of the season.
Currently third on the franchise’s all-time list with 203 wins with the Yankees, the left-hander is enjoying one of his best seasons at 38. He is on pace for the second-lowest ERA of his career and his third career 20-win season.
Selected to the third All-Star Game last week, Pettitte struck out two in one scoreless inning against the National League and went into the break off one of his best starts of the season, allowing one runs and five hits in eight innings to earn a win against the Seattle Mariners on July 8.
However, Pettitte’s worst start of the campaign came against the Rays back on May 20, when he allowed seven runs - six earned - and nine hits in five innings to suffer one of his two setbacks on the season.
Pettitte allowed three homers in that contest, with Ben Zobrist, B.J. Upton and Carlos Pena each taking the veteran deep. Pena has five homers and three triples among 12 hits in his 38 career at-bats off Pettitte.
Pena homered and drove in three runs on Saturday in Tampa Bay’s 10-5 romp. Reid Brignac added a pair of homers and five RBIs for the Rays, who moved back to within two games of the Yankees for first place in the AL East.
Tampa Bay will send its own All-Star to the mound today in left-hander David Price. The American League leader in wins and ERA, Price got the start for the AL squad on Tuesday and allowed one hit in two innings while striking out one.
The 24-year-old worked in the upper 90s with his fastball in the contest and has been dominating AL hitters all season with a combination of fastballs, hard sliders and an improving changeup.
Price made his first start of the season against New York back on April 9 and earned the win, surrendering three runs on seven hits in 7 2/3 innings while striking out seven and walking three. He has faced the Yankees five times in his career - four starts - and has yet to suffer a loss, going 2-0 with a 2.56 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 31 2/3 innings.