New York @ Arizona preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 18, 2013 ) Arizona 6, NY Yankees 2

The New York Yankees are showing signs of life after a miserable start, collecting series wins over two division leaders and the defending World Series champions. The Yankees attempt to inch closer to .500 on Monday as they hit the road for the first of three interleague games with the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks.

New York (16-20) began its 10-game homestand at 9-17 before taking two of three from American League East co-leading Boston, three of four from Kansas City and two of three over the weekend from AL Central-leading Chicago. Carlos Beltran symbolized the Yankees' resurgence with a two-run homer, becoming only the fourth switch-hitter and 54th major leaguer to reach 400 home runs in his career in Sunday's 7-5 win. Arizona scored a total of seven runs while getting swept in four games by San Francisco and has lost five straight following a five-game winning streak during which it averaged 6.2 runs. Sunday's 2-1 setback was perhaps the most disheartening of the bunch for the Diamondbacks, however, as the Giants had only one hit through eight innings before getting three straight singles off closer Brad Ziegler in the ninth to pull ahead.
TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, YES (New York), FSN Arizona

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Chad Green (NR) vs. Diamondbacks LH Robbie Ray (1-2, 4.84 ERA)
As a result of New York giving Michael Pineda an extra day of rest, Green will make his major-league debut following a stellar showing at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. The 24-year-old Louisville product is only 2-3 despite a sparkling 1.22 ERA in seven starts with the RailRiders, although each of those victories came in his last two trips to the mound. Green dominated right-handed hitters at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, holding them to a .159 batting average.
Ray has seen his ERA jump nearly three runs over his last four trips to the mound and was tagged for five runs (three earned) on nine hits and three walks across 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision at Colorado on Wednesday. Since working six scoreless frames en route to his only victory of the season at San Francisco on April 19, the Tennessee native has yielded at least five runs in fewer than five innings in three of his last four turns. Ray is 2-2 with a 3.00 ERA in six interleague starts heading into his first career meeting with the Yankees.

WALK-OFFS
1. Arizona placed David Peralta (wrist) on the disabled list and recalled fellow OF Michael Bourn in a corresponding move.
2. Yankees CF Jacoby Ellsbury (hip strain) made his first start since May 6 on Sunday, going 1-for-5 and scoring twice.
3. Diamondbacks rookie 3B/OF Brandon Drury is coming off his first career four-hit effort and is batting .350 with seven doubles, six homers and 11 RBI over his last 25 games.

PREDICTION: Yankees 6, Diamondbacks 3