New York @ Arizona preview
Chase Field
Last Meeting ( Jun 14, 2007 ) Arizona 1, NY Yankees 7
The New York Yankees are in sole possession of first place in the AL East for the first time in nearly two months. With Mark Teixeira heating up and a series with one of the worst interleague teams in the majors on tap, they may get comfortable there.
Teixeira looks to continue his resurgence on Monday when the Yankees visit the lowly Arizona Diamondbacks in the opener of a three-game series.
On Sunday, Teixeira belted a grand slam and CC Sabathia threw eight dominant innings to help the Yankees snap a three-game skid with a 4-0 win over the New York Mets.
The grand slam was the second home run in as many days for Teixeira, who is getting hot after another slow start.
The two-time All-Star first baseman is hitting .302 with four homers and 10 RBIs in his last 12 games, raising his average to .226.
His fifth career grand slam – and the Yankees’ major league-leading seventh of the season – gave the Bronx Bombers an emotional Subway Series victory. The win - combined with a Tampa Bay Rays loss - gave the Yankees sole possession of first place for the first time since April 21.
Now, Teixeira and the Yankees look to stay atop the AL East against the Diamondbacks, who have the second-worst interleague record in baseball since 2004.
Arizona is 3-6 in interleague play this season and 40-65 against the American League over the last six years. Only the pitiful Pittsburgh Pirates have a worse interleague record in that span (31-62).
Arizona (27-43) hasn’t been very good against anyone this season.
Part of its struggle stems from the inability to keep the ball in the park. The Diamondbacks allowed two more homers in Sunday’s 3-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers, giving them a major league-high 101 on the year.
In addition, they’ve yielded staggering 40 homers since May 20. That is good news for Teixeira, who despite a .171 average has two homers and 11 RBIs in 10 games against the Diamondbacks.
He is just 3-for-17 against Rodrigo Lopez (2-6, 4.70), though. Lopez will try to put a halt to a three-start skid. The right-hander allowed six runs and 10 hits in seven innings of a 6-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday.
Lopez is 8-8 with a 5.90 ERA lifetime against the Yankees. He is 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA in his last three starts vs. New York, but hasn’t faced the Yankees since 2007.
Lopez will be opposed by A.J. Burnett (6-5, 4.33), who is facing the Diamondbacks for the first time in five years.
The right-hander dropped a third straight decision on Wednesday when he yielded six runs and six hits in a season-low 3 1/3 innings of a 6-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. He is 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA in June.