Tampa Bay @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 1, 2014 ) Tampa Bay 2, NY Yankees 1

The New York Yankees have lost four straight and a defeat in Wednesday's series finale against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays will put them below .500 for the first time since April 11. New York has lost eight of 10 to fall to 41-41 - its worst record through 82 games since 2007 and the latest the team has been at .500 in Joe Girardi's tenure. "The guys we have, they've got to get it done. That's the bottom line," Girardi said. "It's not just a couple of guys going, it's a number of guys."

Since a horrific stretch in which they dropped 14 of 15 games, the Rays have won 13 of their last 20 - capped by the current season-high, four-game winning streak. Tampa Bay is 5-1 on its its 11-game road trip that will conclude with a four-game set against American League Central-leading Detroit. Second baseman Logan Forsythe continues to swing a hot bat and is riding four-game hitting and RBI streaks, going 9-for-16 and driving in six runs in that span.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jake Odorizzi (3-7, 4.14 ERA) vs. Yankees LH Vidal Nuno (2-4, 5.42)

Odorizzi struggled with his command last time out in Baltimore, taking a no-decision after allowing one run and throwing 106 pitches in five innings. He was coming off a gem in his previous turn, striking out 10 and limiting Houston to one hit over 7 1/3 scoreless innings to halt a six-start winless drought. Odorizzi did not factor in the decision at New York on May 3, giving up three runs over four-plus innings.

Nuno appeared to be pitching his way out of the starting rotation before blanking Boston on two hits over 5 2/3 innings on Friday, earning his first victory since May 7. He was 0-4 over his previous eight starts and was knocked around for 13 runs (12 earned) and 14 hits in back-to-back defeats. He threw five scoreless innings of three-hit ball at Tampa Bay on April 20 and allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings against them 12 days later.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tampa Bay has won six of nine against New York this season, including the last three.

2. Yankees SS Derek Jeter needs one more double to surpass Lou Gehrig (534) for first place on the franchise's all-time list.

3. Rays 1B James Loney homered among two hits Tuesday to lift his lifetime batting average to .358 against the Yankees.

PREDICTION: Yankees 5, Rays 3