New York @ Cleveland preview
Progressive Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 24, 2012 ) NY Yankees 3, Cleveland 1
Tempers flared between the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Indians on Friday, but that was as hot as the latter would get. The Indians will attempt to snap a nine-game losing skid on Saturday when they host the American League East-leading Yankees in the second contest of the three-game set. Nick Swisher homered and drove in three runs as New York snapped a three-game skid with a 3-1 triumph and increased its lead in the division to 3 1/2 games over Tampa Bay.
The tension was raised after Derek Jeter was beaned with a pitch in the second inning and Asdrubal Cabrera saw an offering go behind him two frames later. Although Cabrera deposited CC Sabathia's next pitch over the wall in center field, that was all Cleveland's struggling offense could muster. The Indians have scored just 25 runs during their losing skid - including six in their last five games. All told, Cleveland has dropped 22 of its last 26 contests.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, YES (New York), STO (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Hiroki Kuroda (12-8, 2.96 ERA) vs. Indians RH Justin Masterson (9-11, 4.73)
Kuroda has been sensational en route to winning his previous two starts. The 37-year-old Japan native yielded one run on six hits in his last 17 innings - including a brilliant eight-inning effort versus Boston on Sunday. Kuroda also fared well against Cleveland, permitting one run and striking out seven in as many innings in a win on June 25.
Masterson saw his modest two-game winning streak come to an end after getting blitzed by Oakland on Sunday. The 27-year-old yielded seven runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings en route to a 7-0 setback. Masterson fell to 2-3 in his career against the Yankees after permitting four runs in six innings in a 6-4 loss on June 26.
WALK-OFFS
1. Jeter has enjoyed success versus Masterson, going 7-for-19 in his career.
2. Cleveland has recorded a pair of losing skids of at least nine games this season. That run of futility marks a first in the franchise's 112-year history.
3. The Yankees have won all four meetings between the clubs this season.