New York @ San Diego preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 4, 2013 ) NY Yankees 3, San Diego 6

The New York Yankees utilized some late-game magic to close out a long homestand in successful fashion and get back to .500. They will try to maintain the momentum when they begin a 10-game road trip with an interleague matchup at the San Diego Padres on Friday.

After dropping the first two games of a four-game series with Texas, the Yankees had a six-run rally in the ninth inning to steal Wednesday's contest and then triumphed 2-1 on Thursday when a passed ball scored the winning run in the ninth. "I mean, (Wednesday) night showed that we never give up," shortstop Didi Gregorius - who had the walk-off homer Wednesday - told reporters. "Everybody's fighting. We're not giving up." The Padres followed up a three-game winning streak with three straight losses by a combined margin of 26-13, dropping a pair against Baltimore to begin their five-game homestand. San Diego then utilized a day off Thursday to ship closer Fernando Rodney to Miami for a minor leaguer.

TV: 10:40 p.m. ET, YES (New York), FSN San Diego

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Nathan Eovaldi (6-5, 5.19 ERA) vs. Padres RH Colin Rea (4-3, 5.05)

Home runs continue to be a huge problem for Eovaldi, who surrendered a season-high four in a loss to Minnesota on Sunday and has given up 10 over his last five starts. The 26-year-old was 0-3 with an 8.65 ERA in June after winning his final five starts in May. Eovaldi owns a 2.31 ERA in four career starts against the Padres but is 2-6 with a 5.81 mark in 16 interleague starts.

Rea allowed four runs (three earned) in five innings while striking out seven at Cincinnati his last time out to win for the first time in eight starts. The Indiana State product has given up at least three runs in seven of his last eight outings. The 25-year-old Rea, who gave up six runs in 5 1/3 innings in his only prior interleague start, has never faced the Yankees.

WALK-OFFS

1. Gregorius also homered Thursday and hit .337 in June.

2. San Diego has scored at least five runs in seven straight home games.

3. Padres LHP Ryan Buchter, who gave up five runs in one-third of an inning Wednesday against Baltimore, is expected to be given the first chance to seize Rodney's closer spot.

PREDICTION: Yankees 6, Padres 5