Tampa Bay @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 17, 2014 ) NY Yankees 4, Tampa Bay 2

Hiroki Kuroda staggered down the stretch a year ago but he goes for his fourth straight win when the New York Yankees open a three-game series against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night. The Yankees need a big outing from Kuroda after they were shut out twice in dropping two of three to Kansas City over the weekend to fall five games back of Seattle for the American League's second wild card. New York has lost four straight at home to the Rays, scoring a total of eight runs.

Tampa Bay is in the midst of playing 26 consecutive games against AL East opponents, including a pair of three-game sets with the Yankees over the next nine days. An inability to win at home (33-42) and within the division (30-34) has hurt the feast-or-famine Rays, who lead the AL with 19 shutouts but have been blanked 17 times - also the most in the AL. Coming off a four-hit game, Tampa Bay first baseman James Loney is a .408 hitter with three homers and 13 RBIs in 18 games in New York.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), WWOR (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Chris Archer (8-8, 3.60 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Hiroki Kuroda (10-8, 3.78)

Archer has absorbed back-to-back beatings in his last two turns, surrendering six runs on 10 hits in a loss to Toronto on Wednesday after he was pounded for eight runs (seven earned) over four innings in his previous start versus Boston. The Yankees will be a welcome sight for Archer, who owns a 4-0 record and 1.51 ERA in five starts against them. Jacoby Ellsbury has been a nemesis for Archer with eight hits in 12 at-bats.

Kuroda improved to 3-0 over his last four starts by holding Boston to one run on four hits while tying a season high with eight strikeouts over seven innings. The Japan native has permitted a total of seven runs over 26 2/3 innings during his unbeaten string, a dramatic reversal from last year when he went 0-6 over his last eight starts. Kuroda won at Tampa Bay with 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball on Aug. 17 to improve to 3-4 with a 5.62 ERA against them.

WALK-OFFS

1. Yankees C Brian McCann has homered three times in 11 games versus Tampa Bay this season.

2. Rays RF Wil Myers has hit safely in all 13 games at Yankee Stadium while swatting seven of his 19 career homers versus New York.

3. Yankees SS Derek Jeter needs one double to tie Rogers Hornsby (541) for 32nd place on the all-time list.

PREDICTION: Yankees 3, Rays 2