Tampa Bay @ New York preview
Yankee Stadium
Last Meeting ( Sep 20, 2010 ) Tampa Bay 6, NY Yankees 8
On a night when George Steinbrenner took his place among the legends in franchise history, Curtis Granderson stole the show.
Given the ramifications, though, even the Boss wouldn't have minded being upstaged by the center fielder for the New York Yankees.
Granderson belted a pair of home runs - a two-run shot and a three-run blast - to power the Yankees to an 8-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night in the opener of a four-game showdown between the AL East heavyweights.
The heroics by Granderson gave New York a 1 1/2-game lead over Tampa Bay entering Tuesday's contest.
On a night when Steinbrenner was honored in Monument Park behind at Yankee Stadium, it was only appropriate that the Yankees ended the evening in possession of the best record in baseball (91-59).
Granderson made sure of that with his five-RBI night that stretched his hitting streak to seven games and gave him four straight seasons with at least 20 home runs.
He started the hitting streak in New York’s three-game series at Tampa Bay last week, going 4-for-13 with a home run, two doubles, two RBIs and three runs scored.
Tuesday's game will feature a pitching rematch of last week's series finale, which the Rays rallied to win 4-3 on Dan Johnson's two-run homer after Granderson had given the Yankees a 3-2 lead with a two-run shot in the top of the seventh.
James Shields (13-12) will start for the Rays and be opposed by Phil Hughes (16-8), who was tagged with the loss in the last matchup.
Shields went 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run on eight hits while striking out eight and walking two. It will be the sixth time Shields faces the Yankees this season.
Although the 28-year-old right-hander is just 3-7 in 14 career starts against New York, he is 2-0 with three no-decisions in five outings this year. He has been hurt by the long ball against the Yankees, surrendering 15 homers in 86 1/3 innings.
Robinson Cano is batting .421 (16-for-38) with three homers and eight RBIs while Derek Jeter, who is riding a nine-game hitting streak, is 16-for-47 (.340) against Shields.
With the exception of facing Johnson, Hughes was outstanding in his last outing against the Rays. He retired the first 12 batters he faced before Johnson launched the first of his two two-run homers in the fifth.
Hughes also set down the side in order in the sixth, but Johnson took him deep again in the seventh. Hughes wound up allowing four runs on six his in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.
In nine lifetime appearances – four starts – against the Rays, Hughes is 2-3 with a 4.55 ERA. Rays first baseman Carlos Pena is 3-for-9 with a pair of homers against him.