Tampa Bay @ New York Preview
Yankee Stadium
Last Meeting ( Sep 15, 2010 ) NY Yankees 3, Tampa Bay 4
As they brace for the latest challenge from the Tampa Bay Rays, the New York Yankees can take comfort in two factors: They still lead the AL East by a nose and the four-game showdown is on their home field.
The AL East heavyweights meet for the last time this season - and second time in a week - in a crucial series that kicks off Monday night at Yankee Stadium.
Tonight's opener features a pitching rematch of last Tuesday's game in St. Petersburg, Fla., which was won by the Yankees, 8-7, in 10 innings. Tampa Bay took two of three games in that series, with each decided by one run.
Neither Rays starter Matt Garza (14-8) nor Yankees rookie right-hander Ivan Nova made it out of the fifth inning Tuesday night.
It was the second of back-to-back rocky outings by Garza, who was battered for six runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. Garza had lasted just 4 1/3 innings in his previous start, also yielding six runs on nine hits, including four home runs to the Boston Red Sox in an 11-5 defeat.
Garza has been tattooed for six homers in just nine innings over last two outings. Oddly, the pair of dismal efforts followed a superb stretch of four starts in which he went 3-0 and allowed a total of three runs.
Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez both went deep last week against Garza, who is 1-3 with a 4.11 ERA in 11 appearances - 10 starts - against New York.
Nova (1-0) had been a revelation since his promotion from Triple-A in late August. Although not pitching deep into ballgames, he had allowed just eight runs through his first four starts before the Rays KO’d him with a seven-run fifth inning.
Neither team enters the series on a roll. The Yankees dropped a 4-3, 11-inning loss Sunday in which closer Mariano Rivera suffered his second blown save in four appearances.
Tampa Bay failed to take advantage, losing a 6-3 decision at home to the Los Angeles Angels.
The Rays, who trail the Yankees by a half-game, probably would be satisfied to hold serve and come away with a split at Yankee Stadium, given what both teams have remaining from here on out.
The schedule certainly doesn't favor the Yankees, who have a pair of three-game series left with the archrival Boston Red Sox sandwiched around a three-game set in Toronto.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, will leave New York and wrap up the season with a pair of three-game home against Seattle and Baltimore before finishing up with four games in Kansas City. That's 10 games against teams with the three worst records in the AL.
Major advantage, Rays.