Boston @ New York preview
Yankee Stadium
Last Meeting ( Aug 8, 2010 ) Boston 2, NY Yankees 7
Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees made it two in a row against the rival Boston Red Sox on Sunday night. On Monday, they'll try to knock the Red Sox out of the race.
Jeter became the team's all-time hits leader by surpassing Babe Ruth with 2,875 hits as New York routed Boston, 7-2, on Sunday. The veteran shortstop finished the game with two hits and three RBIs as New York moved seven games ahead of the Red Sox in the AL East.
The Yankees also took a 2 1/2-game lead over the second-place Tampa Bay Rays, who have lost five straight games.
Phil Hughes will start Monday's game for New York, which continues to dominate the rivalry. New York has won 16 of the last 21 games between the two teams.
Hughes was moved up a day after A.J. Burnett was scratched from Sunday's start with back spasms. Pressed into an emergency start, Dustin Moseley (2-1) responded by allowing two runs and six hits in six strong innings to pick up the victory.
The Yankees also reached a couple of other milestones on Sunday. Alex Rodriguez showed no ill effects after being hit on the leg in batting practice on Saturday. A-Rod returned to the lineup and stole the 300th base of his career.
Mark Teixeira also homered, making him the fourth player in major league history to hit at least 25 homers in each of the first eight years of their career.
While Boston's hope of catching the Yankees in the standings now seem remote, the Red Sox may have a ray of hope in the wild-card race.
Tampa Bay has quickly hit on some hard times. It placed slugger Carlos Pena on the disabled list on Saturday and on Sunday sent two starting pitchers back to Florida to have their shoulders examined.
Boston, however, has to start winning to get in the race and they'll go with Jon Lester in the finale of the four-game series in the Bronx.
Typically the most reliable starter in the rotation, Lester has lost a career-high four straight starts to fall to 11-7 on the season. He is 4-1 lifetime against the Yankees.
Josh Beckett took the loss on Sunday. While Beckett has pitched well since coming back from the disabled list, his starts against the Yankees this season have been abysmal.
In four outings against New York, Beckett has allowed 33 hits, 11 walks and 24 earned runs in 19 innings.
Jacoby Ellsbury continues to struggle in his return to the lineup. Ellsbury spent over two months on the disabled list with several broken ribs. He is 0-for-16 since coming off the disabled list and hitless in 22 at-bats overall.