Tampa Bay @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 5, 2012 ) NY Yankees 6, Tampa Bay 4

The New York Yankees have won back-to-back games for the first time in nearly a month. Now they have to keep winning if they want to hold off the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East. The Yankees enter the weekend tied with the Orioles for both the AL East and the second wild card spot. The Tampa Bay Rays just dropped three straight at Baltimore but have had the Yankees’ number lately.

The Rays lost on walk-off hits Wednesday and Thursday, battling 14 innings only to fall in the series finale. The three straight setbacks have dropped them 3 1/2 games behind the Orioles and Yankees for the second wild card spot. Tampa Bay stranded 10 runners on Thursday and has been struggling offensively over the last seven games, averaging 3.5 runs. New York has won three of four but has had trouble against the Rays this season, dropping nine of 15 meetings. Most of those losses, however, came on the road. The Yankees have taken four of six in the series at home.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SUN (Tampa Bay), Yes (New York), MLBN

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays LH David Price (17-5, 2.54 ERA) vs. Yankees LH CC Sabathia (13-5, 3.56)

Price skipped his last turn due to shoulder soreness but is ready to restart his Cy Young campaign. The lefty allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings at Toronto to earn a win in his last outing and has posted a quality start in 13 of his last 14 turns. Price struck out eight and yielded one run over seven innings in a no decision against the Yankees on July 4 and has faced them four times already this season, going 2-1 with a 3.20 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 25 1/3 total innings.

Sabathia has all but abandoned his own Cy Young campaign with his performance lately. The hefty left-hander is 0-2 in his last three starts and was battered around for five runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings at Baltimore last weekend. Sabathia yielded three home runs in that outing and has given up 12 of his 21 blasts in his last eight starts. He did not factor in the decision at Tampa Bay on Sept. 3, allowing three runs on eight hits in seven innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tampa Bay has lost 13 of its last 16 one-run games, with one of the exceptions coming in a 4-3 victory over New York at Tropicana Field on Sept. 3

2. Derek Jeter needs one hit to pass Willie Mays (3,283) for sole possession of 10th place on the all-time list. Jeter suffered a bone bruise on Wednesday but played through the pain as DH on Thursday.

3. Yankees CF Curtis Granderson struck out three times on Thursday and has 173 K’s on the season, breaking his own franchise record. He is 8-for-43 (.186) with 17 strikeouts against Price.