New York @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 28, 2015 ) NY Yankees 21, Texas 5

The New York Yankees are second in the major leagues in runs scored behind the Toronto Blue Jays but are making a healthy run at the top spot. The Yankees will try to keep the runs coming after putting up a 21-spot when they visit the Texas Rangers in the third contest of their four-game series on Wednesday.

New York is 9-2 since the All-Star break and pulling away in the American League East thanks to an offense that has piled up 42 runs in its last four games. Half of that total came on Tuesday, when Chris Young drove in five runs and Brett Gardner, Didi Gregorius and Brendan Ryan added three RBIs apiece as New York reached at least 20 runs in a game for the first time since 2011. The Rangers, who held a 5-0 lead after the first inning on Tuesday before giving up 21 unanswered runs, have allowed a total of 40 during a three-game slide. Colby Lewis will try to stop that bleeding when he takes the mound for Texas on Thursday against New York's Masahiro Tanaka.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, YES (New York), FSN Southwest (Texas)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (7-3, 3.64 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Colby Lewis (10-4, 4.49)

Tanaka earned a win in each of his last three starts and worked at least seven innings with three earned runs allowed or fewer in each. The Japan native is having some trouble keeping the ball in the park, however, and yielded three solo homers against Baltimore on Thursday to raise his total to 11 in the last six outings. Tanaka is making his first career start against Texas and is 2-1 with a 2.78 ERA in five road starts.

Lewis turned in his third straight quality start on Friday at Los Angeles, when he held the Angels to two runs and five hits while striking out nine over 7 2/3 innings to earn the win. The California native has turned in a quality start in nine of his last 10 turns. Lewis notched the win at New York on May 22 despite surrendering five runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Gregorius is 7-for-9 with seven RBIs and three runs scored in the series.

2. Texas 2B Rougned Odor is 0-for-9 in two games since being named AL Player of the Week on Monday.

3. New York 3B Chase Headley is 11-for-23 with nine runs scored during his six-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Yankees 6, Rangers 2