New York @ Oakland preview
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Last Meeting ( May 5, 2013 ) Oakland 5, NY Yankees 4
The Oakland Athletics return home from a seven-game road trip to face the surging New York Yankees on Tuesday in the opener of their three-game series. Oakland went 4-3 on its trek, which concluded with a 4-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. Oakland has won eight straight at home, last losing at O.co Coliseum on May 15 to the Texas Rangers, whom it trails by one game in the American League West.
New York has won six of seven contests after dropping seven of eight. The Yankees began their 10-game West Coast trip by taking three of four in Seattle, including a 2-1 triumph over the Mariners on Sunday. New York has lost its last four road meetings with Oakland, but Athletics starter Bartolo Colon has gone 0-3 with an 11.05 ERA in his last five starts against the Yankees.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, YES (New York), Comcast SportsNet California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH CC Sabathia (6-4, 3.74 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Bartolo Colon (7-2, 3.14)
Sabathia has posted back-to-back victories following a five-start winless streak. The burly 32-year-old recorded his 36th career complete game Wednesday against the Cleveland Indians, allowing four runs and seven hits while striking out nine. Sabathia fell to 8-9 lifetime versus Oakland on May 3 despite yielding only two runs over six frames.
Colon has won each of his last four starts, posting a 0.90 ERA over that span. After a pair of scoreless outings, the 40-year-old former Yankee allowed one run and eight hits over seven innings in a road triumph over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday. The portly Colon is 4-7 with a 6.16 ERA in 16 career games (15 starts) vs. New York, including a road loss on May 4 in which he surrendered three runs in 5 1/3 frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Colon has issued six walks in 77 1/3 innings this season.
2. New York 2B Robinson Cano is 4-for-33 over his last 10 games.
3. Oakland's home winning streak is its longest since capturing 10 in a row from Aug. 11-Sept. 1, 2006.
PREDICTION: Yankees 7, Athletics 2