Los Angeles @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 13, 2016 ) LA Dodgers 0, NY Yankees 3

The New York Yankees avoided a three-game slide and kept themselves in the race for an American League wild card spot by knocking off the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. The Yankees will try to gain another game in the standings when they host the Dodgers in the finale of the three-game interleague series on Wednesday.

New York heads to Boston on Thursday for the start of a four-game series against the AL East-leading Red Sox, and would like to have a shot at the division by the time they leave on Sunday. The Yankees got a pair of pinch-hit home runs and a strong start from CC Sabathia in Tuesday's 3-0 victory, keeping the team two games behind the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles in the AL wild card race and drawing them within four games of Boston in the East. Los Angeles is hanging onto first place in the National League West despite falling to 2-3 on its road trip. The Dodgers totaled one run in the three losses on the trip and head to Arizona for a four-game series to finish off the excursion on Thursday.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, SportsNet Los Angeles, YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (11-3, 1.89 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Michael Pineda (6-11, 5.07)

Kershaw is working his way back into shape after spending more than two months on the disabled list with a back injury and lasted only three innings and 66 pitches while suffering a loss at Miami in his return on Friday. The former Cy Young Award winner struck out five and allowed two runs in those three frames, and he is expected to get up to 80 pitches on Wednesday. Kershaw has allowed two runs in 15 career innings against New York and is 12-4 with a 2.28 ERA in 27 interleague starts.

Pineda is winless in his last six starts and did not last long enough to qualify for a win in either of his last two outings. The 27-year-old Dominican struck out seven and allowed two runs in 4 2/3 innings against Tampa Bay on Friday but was pulled with runners at the corners and the game on the line. Pineda, who was unhappy about the quick pull last time out, is 6-3 with a 2.98 ERA in 10 career interleague starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Yankees SS Didi Gregorius did not start the first two games of the series to rest nagging injuries but homered as a pinch hitter on Tuesday.

2. Dodgers LHP Julio Urias, 20, made his final start on Tuesday and will spend the rest of the season in the bullpen to keep his innings count down.

3. Los Angeles LHP Brett Anderson (blister) will make a rehab start in the Triple-A playoffs for Oklahoma City this weekend.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 5, Yankees 3