Oakland @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 8, 2015 ) Oakland 4, NY Yankees 5

The New York Yankees attempt to secure their second straight series victory when they host the Oakland Athletics on Thursday afternoon in the rubber match of their three-game set. After taking two of three at home from Tampa Bay, the Yankees fell in extra innings in the opener against Oakland before holding on to edge the Athletics 5-4 on Wednesday.

All-Star Mark Teixeira belted a pair of solo homers and Stephen Drew added one of his own as New York opened a 5-2 lead and withstood a ninth-inning comeback attempt for its fourth win in its last six at home. Teixeira - who matched his 22-homer output of last season - raised his career total to 385 blasts, moving him past Harold Baines and into a tie with Dwight Evans for 61st place on the all-time list. Marcus Semien launched a two-run shot in the ninth for Oakland, which had its seven-game road winning streak come to an end. The run of success followed a five-game slide away from home for the Athletics, who visit Cleveland for three contests before heading into the All-Star break.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, CSN California (Oakland), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Jesse Chavez (4-8, 3.20 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (4-3, 3.94)

Chavez suffered his second straight loss Friday, giving up four runs and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings against Seattle. The 31-year-old Californian has won only two of his last six outings, yielding three or more runs five times in that span. Chavez improved to 4-0 lifetime against New York on May 31, when he scattered seven hits over eight scoreless frames at home to lower his career ERA versus the Yankees to 1.63.

Tanaka's winless streak reached four starts Friday, when he settled for a no-decision against Tampa Bay after allowing three runs in six innings. The 26-year-old native of Japan has surrendered 18 runs - 16 earned - over 23 frames during his drought after yielding fewer than two in each of his previous four turns. Tanaka won his only career outing against Oakland on June 5, 2014, as he gave up one run and five hits in six innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Teixeira's two-homer performance was the 39th of his career and second multi-homer effort this season.

2. Oakland RHP Evan Scribner has allowed a total of five home runs in his last three games, including two in each of his last two appearances.

3. New York CF Jacoby Ellsbury (knee) and LHP Andrew Miller (forearm) returned from the disabled list, with the former going 1-for-4 and the latter notching his 18th save despite yielding two runs in one inning.

PREDICTION: Yankees 7, Athletics 5