Yanks @ Rays Series Preview

Yankees - Rays
@ Tropicana Field
(4 games)

The Yanks and Rays meet for the third time this season this week for a four game series in Tampa. The Yankees lead the season series 4 games to 2.

Tampa has had very good pitching all year and rank 5th in the AL with a 3.90 team ERA. After being swept in Boston they've won 5 of their last 6 and head in to this series with a surprisingly good 21-16 record, and sit 1.5 games behind the first place Red Sox.

The Yankees come into the series with a .500 (19-19) record and 4 games behind Boston.

MATCHUPS

Game 1 - Tonight @ 7:10 p.m., on YES, Andy Pettitte LHP (3-3, 3.77 ERA) vs. Matt Garza RHP (1-1, 4.91 ERA)

Game 2 - Tomorrow @ 7:10 p.m., on YES, Chien-Ming Wang RHP (1-0, 3.00 ERA) vs. Edwin Jackson RHP (2-3, 4.04 ERA)

Game 3 - Wednesday @ 7:10 p.m., on YES, Mike Mussina RHP (3-3, 3.77 ERA) vs. James Shields RHP (4-2, 3.14 ERA)

Game 4 - Thursday @ 4:10 p.m., on YES, Darrell Rasner RHP (2-0, 3.00 ERA) vs. Scott Kazmir LHP (1-1, 2.70 ERA)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Yankees - Hideki Matsui: Matsui has been the Yankees most consistent hitter this year hitting .331 with 4 HR and 17 RBI. Through his career he's been very good against the Rays hitting .329 with 19 HR, 75 RBI and a .961 OPS in 91 career games. He's been equally good at The Trop, where he hits .321, with 7 HR, 34 RBI, and a .945 OPS in 42 games.

Matsui vs. Garza: NR
Matsui vs. Jackson: .357 (5-14), HR, 2 RBI, .971 OPS
Matsui vs. Shields: .600 (6-10), 3 HR, 5 RBI, 2.236 OPS
Matsui vs. Kazmir: .200 (4-20), HR, 2 RBI, .654 OPS

Rays - B. J. Upton: Just like last time Upton is my player to watch on the Tampa Bay side. He's currently leading the Rays in batting average (.297) and RBI (25), and always does well against the Yankees. In 34 games he's hitting .314, with 8 HR, 25 RBI, and a .971 OPS.

Upton vs. Pettitte: .154 (2-13), 2 RBI, .354 OPS
Upton vs. Wang: .285 (4-14), .690 OPS
Upton vs. Mussina: .385 (5-13), HR, 4 RBI, 1.154 OPS
Upton vs. Rasner: NR

INJURY REPORT

Yankees:
- Alex Rodriguez is on the 15-day DL with a strained quad.
- Jorge Posada is on the DL with a shoulder injury.
- Phil Hughes is out until at least July with a stress fracture of the rib.
- Brian Bruney might miss the rest of the season with an injured foot.
- Wilson Betemit is on the 15-day DL with a strained right hamstring
- Jonathan Albaladejo is on the 15-day DL with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament and a strained posterior capsule in his elbow.

Rays:
- Willy Aybar is on the 15-day DL with a hamstring injury.
- Ben Zobrist is on the DL with hand injury, but could be activated from the disabled list on Monday.
- Al Reyes is 15-day DL with a shoulder injury.