New York @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 5, 2010 ) Toronto 7, NY Yankees 3

The Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees go into the final week of the regular season separated by a single loss.

Given the vastly different schedules the two teams face, that lone defeat could loom large.

The Yankees look to reclaim top spot in the American League East on Monday night as they open a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays own an 8-7 edge in the season series, though the Yankees are coming off a win in their most recent three-game set earlier this month.

New York found itself just three outs away from heading into the final week of the campaign trailing the Rays by 1 1/2 games in the AL East race. After Mariano Rivera blew his third save this month in Sunday night's series finale with Boston, the Yankees rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth and win it on a bases-loaded walk in the 10th.

That victory left the Yankees one loss back of the Rays, with Tampa Bay having seven games left compared to New York with six games remaining. Yet, despite the spirited rally in Sunday's game, the Bronx Bombers may be facing an uphill battle to take over the division lead.

New York is finished at Yankee Stadium for the season, and will play its final six games on the road. After dealing with a Blue Jays team that leads the majors in home runs by a wide margin, the Yankees finish up with a three-game set against the Red Sox at always-daunting Fenway Park.

Tampa's schedule is a gift by comparison. The Rays host the cellar-dwelling Baltimore Orioles before wrapping up their sked with four road games against the woeful Kansas City Royals.

New York's quest for the division title begins with Monday starter A.J. Burnett (10-14). The former Blue Jays hurler has just one victory over the past two months, and hasn't beaten a divisional opponent since May 4.

Burnett last faced Toronto back on Aug. 2, and was pummeled for eight runs on eight hits over 4 2/3 innings as the Blue Jays earned an 8-6 victory. The 33-year-old is 1-6 against the Rays, Red Sox and Jays this season.

Toronto counters with sophomore left-hander Mark Rzepczynski (2-4). The 25-year-old is coming off an impressive victory over Seattle, where he held the Mariners to a pair of runs over 6 1/3 innings while striking out eight.

Rzepczynski will be looking to improve upon his dreadful track record against the Yankees. He has an 0-2 lifetime record with a hideous 10.47 ERA over 16 1/3 innings.

The Blue Jays still have plenty at stake despite being well out of the post-season picture. Two wins over the final seven games will secure Toronto its fourth winning record in the past five years, and the team is just three home runs shy of equaling its franchise record of 244 set in 2000.