Tampa Bay @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 21, 2011 ) Tampa Bay 2, NY Yankees 4

THE STORY: The Tampa Bay Rays will look to keep their sagging playoff hopes alive and avoid a four-game sweep when they face the New York Yankees on Thursday night. The Yankees swept a doubleheader from the Rays on Wednesday, dropping them 2 ½ games behind Boston in the AL wild-card chase with seven games left on the season. Tampa Bay suddenly has company in its pursuit of the Red Sox, with the Los Angeles Angels also 2 ½ games back for the wild-card slot. One silver lining for the Rays is that the Yankees clinched the AL East title Wednesday and may not be on top of their game in the series finale.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SunSports (Tampa Bay), YES (New York),

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jeff Niemann (11-7, 3.95 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Bartolo Colon (8-9, 3.81 ERA).

Niemann has won his last two starts, although he worked only five innings in Saturday’s 4-3 win at Boston. He won his only matchup against New York this season, allowing one run on six hits in 7 1/3 innings. He has had great success at Yankee Stadium, posting a 2-0 record and 3.00 ERA in four career starts. Niemann has allowed multiple homers in four of his last nine starts.

Colon has not won since July 30 despite a pair of stellar efforts in that span. His last outing wasn’t one of them, as he was battered for six runs in four innings at Toronto on Saturday. Colon was a hard-luck loser at Tampa Bay on July 19, striking out a season-high nine and allowing one earned run. The Rays got to him for five runs on 10 hits on July 7.

ABOUT THE RAYS (85-70): Tampa Bay wasted a pair of strong pitching performances in Wednesday’s doubleheader sweep. The culprit once again was an offense that has produced only four runs in the first three games of the series vs. New York. That was especially troubling after the Yankees were forced to use eight relievers in the opener of the twin bill when starter Phil Hughes was unable to take the mound. All the runs Wednesday came via home runs. Desmond Jennings belted a two-run shot in the opener and Kelly Shoppach and Sean Rodriguez had solo homers in the nightcap.

ABOUT THE YANKEES (95-60): New York used some late drama in both ends of the doubleheader en route to clinching its 12th division title in the past 16 years. Robinson Cano's two-run double in the eighth inning was the difference in the first game, and Jorge Posada came off the bench to deliver a two-run, pinch-hit single in the nightcap. Posada, who has been relegated to a part-time player, has 12 RBIs since Aug. 1 and eight have come against the Rays. Cano also homered in the second game to give him 19 RBIs this month. Derek Jeter has three straight multi-hit games to up his average to .298 as he seeks his 12th career .300 season.

FINAL PITCH: Hughes received an epidural shot to relieve inflammation in his lower back. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said he expects Hughes to be fine for the postseason – whether in be in a starting or relief role.