New York @ Oakland preview
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Last Meeting ( Jun 11, 2013 ) NY Yankees 4, Oakland 6
The Oakland Athletics attempt to extend a pair of winning streaks Wednesday, when they host the New York Yankees in the middle contest of a three-game series. Oakland posted its ninth consecutive victory at home in Tuesday's opener as Derek Norris homered and drove in four runs while former Yankee Bartolo Colon tossed six scoreless innings. The triumph also was the Athletics' fifth in a row against New York at O.co Coliseum.
Oakland tries for its first 10-game home winning streak since Aug. 11-Sept. 1, 2006 when it takes on a Yankees team that has won six of its last eight contests. New York dropped to 3-2 on its 10-game West Coast road trip despite a late rally attempt. Mark Teixeira and pinch-hitter Vernon Wells each delivered an RBI single in the eighth inning before Teixeira had a two-run base hit in the ninth to get the Yankees within 6-4, but Travis Hafner flied out to the wall in left-center to end the game.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, YES (New York), CSN California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Phil Hughes (3-4, 4.80 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Dan Straily (3-2, 4.67)
Hughes ended a four-start winless streak on Thursday, allowing just an unearned run and three hits over seven innings at Seattle. The 26-year-old has won only three of his last 10 outings despite yielding fewer than three runs seven times in that span. Hughes improved to 3-1 lifetime against the Athletics on May 4, when he scattered four hits over eight scoreless frames.
Straily is coming off a pair of no-decisions against the Chicago White Sox in which he surrendered a total of five runs in 13 innings. Prior to allowing four runs in seven frames on Thursday, the 24-year-old rookie gave up two runs over 19 innings in three starts - including two victories. Staily settled for a no-decision in his only career outing against the Yankees in New York on May 5, after yielding three runs in 5 1/3 frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Oakland LF Yoenis Cespedes left Tuesday's game with tightness in his left hamstring and is day-to-day.
2. Yankees SS Derek Jeter will meet with doctors on Thursday with hopes of being cleared to begin a full rehabilitation program for his injured ankle.
3. Athletics CF Coco Crisp has hit 11 leadoff home runs in his career, including three this season.
PREDICTION: Yankees 4, Athletics 0