New York @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 10, 2011 ) Tampa Bay 0, NY Yankees 1

THE STORY: Tampa Bay, trying to get back in the playoff pictures, continues a critical 10-game stretch against the leaders in the American League East. The Rays have won just two of the first six games in a stretch of games against Boston and New York, including its 1-0 loss to the Red Sox in Sunday night’s 16-inning marathon. Tampa Bay hosts the Yankees in the first of a three-game series at Tropicana Field with rookie Alex Cobb starting against New York’s A.J. Burnett. The Yankees enter the series on a two-game winning streak after salvaging a split of a four-game series at Toronto.

TV: 7:05 p.m. NESN, MASN

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH A.J. Burnett (8-7, 4.15 ERA) vs. Rays RH Alex Cobb (2-0, 34.1 ERA)

Burnett continues to be a model of inconsistency for the Yankees. As the team’s No. 2 starter he hasn’t won two straight starts since opening the season with three straight wins. Burnett didn’t figure in the decision when New York edged Tampa Bay 5-4 on July 9. He allowed three runs on 5 2/3 innings in the game and left the game with a 4-3 lead while striking out a season-high nine. Burnett is 12-8 lifetime against Tampa Bay with a 3.41 ERA.

Cobb was summoned from Triple-A Durham, where he had a 5-1 mark with a nifty 1.87 ERA, to make the start against the Yankees. He’s made five starts this season for the Rays going 2-0 with a 3.41 ERA. Cobb beat Florida in his last major league appearance hurling 6 1/3 innings while allowing just two runs on three hits. He is a strikeout pitcher who can get wild at times and is sure to throw a lot of pitches against the patient Yankee lineup.

ABOUT THE RAYS (50-43): The Rays trail the season series against the Yankees 3-2 with the last meeting a 1-0 setback at the Bronx when the only run scored on an errant pickoff throw. All-Star outfielder Matt Joyce was scratched from the starting lineup for Sunday night’s game against Boston because of a sore right knee. Joyce was injured when he fouled a ball off his right kneecap during the fifth inning of Saturday’s 9-5 loss to the Red Sox. He homered off John Lackey one pitch later and played the remainder of the game. Joyce had some stiffness in the knee but did pinch hit late in the game.

ABOUT THE YANKEES (55-37): Brett Gardner’s name is always seemingly bandied about in trade rumors but the Yankees have no intention on dealing him. The slick outfielder is also swinging the bat well and posted his second straight three-hit game, going 3 for 4 with a walk, two stolen bases and three runs scored on Sunday. Gardner has stolen 12 straight bases without being caught, and is batting .625 (10 for 16) since the All-Star break. Derek Jeter got Sunday off and Mark Teixeira served as the DH in the game. New York recalled OF Chris Dickerson from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and optioned OF Greg Golson to Triple-A. Ramiro Pena played third base on Sunday and went 0-for-3. Pena is batting .080 on the season so you expect the shaky fielding Eduardo Nunez to get the bulk of the action at third while Alex Rodriguez is on the DL.

FINAL PITCH: New York is a sterling 28-5 in day games, the best in the majors. Under the lights, however, the Yankees are just 27-32.