Cleveland @ New York preview
Yankee Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jun 3, 2013 ) Cleveland 4, NY Yankees 7
With one emphatic swing, Mark Teixeira did his best to help the New York Yankees break out of their offensive doldrums. Fresh off hitting his eighth career grand slam, Teixeira and the Yankees will look to keep their positive momentum going on Tuesday when they continue their three-game series against the visiting Cleveland Indians. New York, which erupted for seven runs to win for the second time in nine games, mustered just 15 in its previous eight contests.
Cleveland fell for the 10th time in 14 games - and saw shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera suffer a right quadriceps strain while running down the first-base line. That's not the news manager Terry Francona wanted to hear as his sputtering team begins a challenging nine-game road trip that concludes against American League powers Detroit and Texas.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians LH Scott Kazmir (3-2, 5.13 ERA) vs. Yankees RH David Phelps (3-3, 4.65)
Kazmir snapped a three-start winless streak with a sizzling performance his last time out. The 29-year-old yielded one run and eight hits over seven solid innings as Cleveland cruised to a 7-1 triumph over Buckeye State rival Cincinnati on Thursday. Kazmir, who is 0-2 on the road in 2013, has posted a 7-6 career mark versus the Yankees.
Phelps would like to forget his last outing - as short as it was. The 26-year-old allowed five runs on four hits in one-third of an inning in an eventual 9-4 loss to the crosstown rival Mets on Wednesday. The setback was his first since May 13, when he allowed the game's only run and issued a season-high five walks in 6 2/3 innings against Cleveland.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cleveland RH Vinnie Pestano has yet to be tested in the closer's role. Chris Perez normally fills that position but is on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder.
2. New York's Travis Hafner celebrated his 36th birthday by belting a solo homer on Monday. He is 1-for-6 with three strikeouts in his career versus Kazmir.
3. The Indians have allowed 27 runs in their last three losses.
PREDICTION: Yankees 4, Indians 3