New York @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 18, 2014 ) NY Yankees 5, Tampa Bay 11

The Tampa Bay Rays will look to build momentum after a rare offensive outburst when they host the New York Yankees on Saturday in the third of four games between the teams. The Rays entered Friday ranked 14th in the American League in runs scored and quickly fell behind 4-0 to the streaking Yankees before piling it on late in an 11-5 triumph. Evan Longoria stayed hot with three hits and Wil Myers broke out of a slump with three hits of his own and three RBIs.

New York, which had its five-game winning streak snapped Friday, played without right fielder Carlos Beltran, who suffered wrist and shoulder injuries in a tumble in foul territory in the series opener Thursday. He had MRIs on the injuries and they came back clean, so the reigning American League Player of the Week could be back in the lineup Saturday. Tampa Bay has won 17 of the last 24 meetings at home.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, YES (New York), Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Ivan Nova (2-1, 5.94 ERA) vs. Rays RH Chris Archer (1-1, 4.50)

Nova gave up nine runs on 16 hits and five walks in 9 1/3 innings over his first two starts of the season before rebounding in a big way against Boston at home on Sunday. He gave up two runs in 7 1/3 frames versus the Red Sox, lifting the Yankees to a hard-earned 3-2 triumph. The 27-year-old Nova is 6-4 with a 2.86 ERA in 13 games (12 starts) against Tampa Bay but has a 4.56 ERA in five games at Tropicana Field.

While Nova rebounded from a rough start to the season in his third start, Archer followed up two outstanding efforts with a rocky performance at Baltimore on Monday, surrendering a career-high seven runs and 12 hits in five innings of a 7-1 loss. Archer is 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA in three career starts versus the Yankees. The Rays have won the last six home games started by Archer.

WALK-OFFS

1. Yankees DH Alfonso Soriano is 6-for-12 with a home run and a walk in his last three games.

2. Current Rays have a combined .223 average and .650 OPS against Nova.

3. Rays IF/OF Sean Rodriguez has homered in both games of the series.

PREDICTION: Rays 5, Yankees 4