New York @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 4, 2019 ) Texas 1, NY Yankees 4

James Paxton will make his final tune-up for the postseason when he takes the mound Friday for the New York Yankees in the opener of a three-game series at the Texas Rangers. Paxton, along with Masahiro Tanaka and Luis Severino, is a candidate to pitch Game 1 of the team's American League Division Series beginning next Friday, and he's certainly the hottest of the trio.

The big lefty has allowed one earned run in 24 2/3 innings over his last four starts and has a personal 10-game winning streak for New York, which entered Thursday's action all but assured of finishing with the second-best record in the AL behind the Houston Astros. The Texas heat might help the Yankees' bats get going again after they were held to one run while suffering a two-game sweep at Tampa Bay earlier in the week, capped by a 4-0 loss Wednesday night in which they remained stuck on 299 home runs as a team. They'll take aim at Rangers rookie Joe Palumbo, who grew up on Long Island. Texas will be opening its final series at Globe Life Park after defeating Boston on Thursday by a 7-5 margin to avoid a three-game sweep.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, WPIX (New York), FS Southwest (Texas)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH James Paxton (15-6, 3.73 ERA) vs. Rangers LH Joe Palumbo (0-2, 9.22)

Paxton will be trying to become the fifth pitcher in franchise history to win 11 consecutive starts, joining Jack Chesbro (14 in 1904), Russ Ford (12 in 1910), Whitey Ford (11 in 1961) and Ron Guidry (11 in 1979). His dominant September began with seven scoreless innings and 12 strikeouts in a win over Texas at home. The 30-year-old from Canada is 0-2 with a 7.04 ERA in five career starts at Globe Life Park.

Palumbo will be making his fourth start and his first since Aug. 20, when he lasted only 1 2/3 innings while allowing three runs against the Los Angeles Angels. He has pitched just twice in September, producing three scoreless innings while striking out five. The 24-year-old will be facing the Yankees for the first time.

WALK-OFFS

1. Yankees 1B/DH Edwin Encarnacion (oblique) and C Gary Sanchez (groin) could return during the series.

2. Rangers INF/OF Danny Santana slugged a grand slam in Thursday's win and has two homers and seven RBIs during a five-game hitting streak.

3. The Minnesota Twins beat the Yankees to the 300-homer mark with a pair of blasts in a win over Detroit on Thursday.

PREDICTION: Yankees 7, Rangers 3