Yankees vs. Tigers Series Preview

Yankees - Tigers
@ Yankee Stadium
(3 games)

The Yankees come home to face the Detroit Tigers for the first time this season. Last year the teams split the 8 game season series.

Detroit comes into Yankee Stadium as one of the bigger disappointments of the early season with an 11-15 record, they look to be coming out of their early season struggles as they've won 5 of their last 7.

The Yankees are coming off a 10 game road trip where they were 5-5. The lineup still has not found itself, but their pitching seems to be coming around. This series will be a big test for the Yankees pitching staff - especially for Hughes and Kennedy - facing the Tigers and their potent lineup.

MATCHUPS

Game 1: Tuesday @ 7:05 p.m. on YES, Phil Hughes RHP (0-3, 7.85 ERA) vs. Kenny Rogers LHP (1-3, 7.66 ERA)

Game 2: Wednesday @ 7:05 p.m. on YES, Andy Pettitte LHP (3-2, 3.23 ERA) vs. Jeremy Bonderman RHP (1-2, 4.28 ERA)

Game 3: Thursday @ 7:05 p.m. on YES, Ian Kennedy RHP (0-2, 8.53 ERA) vs. Nate Robertson LHP (0-3, 6.91 ERA)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Yankees - Jason Giambi: Giambi finished this recent road trip going 7-20 with 3 HR and 5 RBI. Maybe this is a sign that he's coming out of it with the bat. Facing the Tigers may be just what he needs to maintain this minor success as he's hit them very well throughout his career. In 95 games he's batting .316 with 32 HR, 84 RBI and a 1.070 OPS. Last year he hit .286 with 3 HR and 3 RBI against the Tigers, and hit .333 with 2 HR and 4 RBI in '06.

Giambi vs. Rogers: .435 (10-for-23), 4 HR, 9 RBI, 1.567 OPS
Giambi vs. Bonderman: .200 (3-for-15)
Giambi vs. Robertson: .535 (7-for-13), 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1.409 OPS

Tigers - Magglio Ordonez: Ordonez has been one of the Tigers better hitters to start the season, he's hitting .305 wit 5 HR and 17 RBI. He has also been very good against the Yankees. In 77 career games he's hitting .303 with 19 HR, 66 RBI, and an OPS of .951.

Ordonez vs. Hughes: 0-for-3
Ordonez vs. Pettitte: .343 (12-for-35), 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1.039 OPS
Ordonez vs. Kennedy: none

INJURY REPORT

Yankees:
- Wilson Betemit is still on the DL with pink eye.
- Alex Rodriguez will miss at least one game this series because his quad is still not 100%. Rodriguez said in the post game yesterday that if he had to guess, he would be out for more than one day.
- Jorge Posada is on the DL with a shoulder injury, and may need surgery. More info will be released today.
- Brian Bruney is out for the year with an injured foot.

Tigers:
- Dontrelle Willis is on the 15-day DL with a hyperextended right knee. He threw about 50 pitches against several Tigers' hitters on Saturday and didn't feel any pain.