New York @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 26, 2012 ) NY Yankees 4, Cleveland 2

There was a time not long ago that Joe Girardi managing against Terry Francona had serious playoff consequences and the eyes of most of the baseball world locked on. Things will be a little different when Francona’s Cleveland Indians host Girardi’s New York Yankees in the opener of a four-game series on Monday. Francona is back in the game with the Indians after battling the Yankees as the manager of the Boston Red Sox from 2004-2011.

Francona won’t be the only familiar face for New York’s players, who will be able to greet former teammate Nick Swisher. Cleveland’s new first baseman was one of only two players in the lineup to go without a hit in Sunday’s 13-0 drubbing of Tampa Bay and has gone 4-for-22 in his first six games with the Indians. The Yankees are covering the loss of Swisher and several others with a group of veterans on short contracts, and Kevin Youkilis and Vernon Wells have been the best of that bunch so far. Youkilis won a pair of World Series rings with Francona in Boston.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, YES (New York), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Hiroki Kuroda (0-1, 13.50 ERA) vs. Indians RH Ubaldo Jimenez (0-0, 1-50)

Kuroda is taking his regular turn in the rotation despite leaving his last start in the second inning after taking a comebacker off his pitching hand. The veteran right-hander stayed in the game but clearly had lost his command, hitting two batters and walking another before getting pulled. Kuroda threw on the side and was deemed ready to go on Monday. He faced Cleveland twice in 2012 and earned a win at Yankee Stadium but was reached for three runs on four hits in eight innings to suffer a loss at the Indians on Aug. 25.

Jimenez was a big question mark this spring after suffering through a down 2012 campaign but looked strong in his 2013 debut, allowing one run on three hits in six innings at Toronto. The Dominican right-hander struck out six and only issued two walks. He averaged more than three walks per outing last season. Jimenez did not factor in the decision against the Blue Jays and has not earned a win in any of his last nine starts going back to last August. He went 0-2 in two starts against New York in 2012 with a 5.73 ERA.

WALK-OFFS

1. The bottom five hitters in Cleveland’s lineup went 14-for-24 on Sunday, led by Carlos Santana’s 5-for-5 effort.

2. New York SS Eduardo Nunez (biceps) is limited to pinch running duty. Jayson Nix has been starting in his place and homered in Sunday’s 7-0 win over Detroit.

3. Youkilis is 9-for-22 with four doubles and a home run through six games.

PREDICTION: Indians 5, Yankees 4