Tampa Bay @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 5, 2015 ) Tampa Bay 3, NY Yankees 2

The Tampa Bay Rays look to win their second straight road series Sunday when they take on the New York Yankees, and the right person will be on the mound. Chris Archer is 5-0 in his career against the Yankees and has limited them to two runs with 16 strikeouts over 13 2/3 innings this season despite a pair of no-decisions.

Archer could become the first starting pitcher to win his first six decisions against the Yankees since 1990-94, when Greg Hibbard accomplished the feat. The Rays won for the third time in five outings on their nine-game road trip with a 3-2 victory Saturday and Logan Forsythe – 13-for-22 in the last six contests – continues to lead the way. The Yankees, who trail first-place Toronto by 1 ½ games in the American League East, have triumphed in six of their last eight contests overall but are 3-6 in the last nine at home. Didi Gregorius is 17-for-35 with 13 RBIs in his last nine games to lead New York.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Chris Archer (12-10, 2.78 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Ivan Nova (5-7, 4.50)

Archer pitched six scoreless innings to beat Baltimore last time out, holding an opponent to two or fewer runs for the sixth time in the past nine starts. The 26-year-old, who is 9-3 with a 2.48 ERA on the road, has 223 strikeouts – 16 shy of Scott Kazmir’s franchise record for a single season. Jacoby Ellsbury is 12-for-18 with a homer against Archer, who boasts a 1.78 ERA in eight career starts versus the Yankees while holding them to a .192 average.

Nova lost his third straight start last time out when he allowed three runs and seven hits, including two homers, over six innings at Boston. The 28-year-old is 2-4 with a 5.34 ERA in six home starts and walked five while striking out four in his last two outings overall. James Loney (7-for-15) and Evan Longoria (10-for-32, three homers) have been troublesome for Nova, who gave up four runs in five innings of an 8-1 loss to Tampa Bay on July 5.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Rays have equaled their club record (2008) with an AL-leading 52 saves and the Yankees are a major league-best 56-2 with a lead after six frames.

2. New York C Brian McCann boasts 24 homers, tying a career best, but is 2-for-14 career against Archer.

3. Longoria suffered a bruised right forearm when he was hit by a pitch Saturday, but told reporters he expects to play Sunday.

PREDICTION: Rays 5, Yankees 2