New York @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 25, 2010 ) Kansas City 6, NY Yankees 12

The New York Yankees did not fare as well as they would have liked during a 12-game stretch against teams with winning records but still find themselves in first place in the American League East.

Now they have a chance to build on their lead against lesser opponents.

Fresh off one of their signature comeback victories, the Yankees begin a string of 11 straight contests against clubs under .500 Thursday when they take on the Kansas City Royals in the opener of their four-game series at Kauffman Stadium.

New York lost two of three to both Tampa Bay and Toronto before splitting a four-game set at home against Boston. Texas posted a 10-inning victory in the first game of a brief two-game series in Arlington on Tuesday and appeared headed for a sweep as ace Cliff Lee was staked to a 6-1 lead after five innings.

The Yankees would not be denied, scoring six runs over the final four frames to post their league-leading 36th come-from-behind win. Nine of their last 14 victories have been of the comeback variety.

With the Rangers clinging to a 6-5 lead in the ninth, Derek Jeter singled past a drawn-in infield to plate the tying run, giving Neftali Perez his third blown save in 32 opportunities. After Perez struck out Nick Swisher, Alexi Ogando surrendered the go-ahead RBI single by Marcus Thames, who had belted a solo homer in the eighth to draw New York within a run.

Texas, which tagged Mariano Rivera with a rare loss the day before, was poised to victimize the future Hall-of-Famer again as Elvis Andrus led off the bottom of the ninth with a triple. Rivera responded by retiring Michael Young, Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero in succession to nail down his 24th save of the year.

The win gave New York a 5-7 record over its 12-game stretch against winning teams. Yet, the manner in which they emerged victorious does not bode well for Kansas City, which is beginning a 10-game homestand after scoring just 17 runs during its 2-7 road trip.

Reigning Cy Young Award winner Zach Greinke allowed just one run over eight innings Wednesday, but Kansas City suffered a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in 10 innings.

The Royals have lost four games in a row and six of seven but have won three straight at home. They are 8-18 since the All-Star break and dropped three of four at Yankee Stadium from July 22-25.

New York, which is 33-23 on the road, gives the ball to CC Sabathia, who has won 10 of his last 12 decisions. The burly left-hander allowed two runs and six hits over eight innings last Saturday, ending a personal two-game losing streak as the Yankees posted a 5-2 victory over the Red Sox.

Sabathia is 16-10 with a 3.30 ERA in 33 career starts against the Royals and owns a 9-5 record and 3.87 ERA in 17 outings at Kauffman Stadium. The 30-year old surrendered a season high-tying 11 hits and four runs – three earned – in 6 1/3 innings vs. Kansas City on July 22 but came away with the win in a 10-4 triumph.

Sabathia is 6-5 with a 3.59 ERA in 13 road starts this year.

The Yankees will face their fourth consecutive left-hander in Bruce Chen, who took the loss on July 22 after yielding five runs and nine hits in six innings.

Chen, who will be making his 14th start of 2010 after 10 relief appearances, has won each of his last two outings. The 33-year old was brilliant against Seattle on Saturday, giving up just one run and three hits over seven innings of a 2-1 victory.

Chen owns a 1-4 record and 6.83 ERA in 15 career games against New York, including four appearances out of the bullpen.

Mark Teixeira, who missed the two-game set in Texas due to the birth of his son, is 9-for-14 (.643) with six home runs and 12 RBIs against Chen, while Jeter is hitting .406 (13-for-32) with three solo homers. Thames has four hits in 12 career at-bats against Chen with a homer and seven RBIs.

Chen is 6-5 with a 4.65 ERA since joining Kansas City's rotation on May 30. He has made six starts at home, going 3-2 with a 5.40 ERA.