Yanks @ A's Series Preview

Yankees - A's
@ McAfee Coliseum
(3 games)

The Yanks visit Oakland for their first and only series of the season at McAfee Coliseum. Last season the Yanks dropped four of six games to the A's, and hope to do much better this time around.

The A's have been one of the surprise teams this season. They currently trail the first place Angels by just four games in the AL West, and are second in the Wild Card standings, 3.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays. Oakland comes into the series winners of 5 of their last 7, and with an overall record of 34-29

The Yankees have been struggling to get over the .500 hump, and that's where they sit as they enter this three-game series. They're currently 7 games behind the first place Red Sox in the AL East and 6 games behind the Rays in the Wild Card race.

MATCHUPS

Game 1 - Tonight @ 10:05 p.m.
TV: YES, Radio: WCBS 880
Chien-Ming Wang RHP (6-2, 4.57) vs. Dana Eveland LHP (4-4, 3.82)

Game 2 - Tomorrow @ 10:05 p.m.
TV: YES, Radio: WCBS 880
Darrell Rasner RHP (3-3, 2.58) vs. Justin Duchscherer RHP (5-4, 2.32)

Game 3 - Thursday @ 10:05 p.m.
TV: YES, Radio: WCBS 880
Andy Pettitte LHP (5-5, 4.99) vs. Joe Blanton RHP (3-8, 4.15)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Yankees - Derek Jeter: Jeter has not been great so far this year, and the Yanks need him to start hitting. In his career he's been very good against the A's, especially in Oakland. In 109 games against the A's Jeter is hitting .305 with 11 HR, 50 RBI, and an .834 OPS. In 51 games in Oakland he's hitting .360 with 7 HR, 34 RBI, and a .981 OPS.

Jeter vs. Eveland: NR
Jeter vs. Duchscherer: 0-for-4
Jeter vs. Blanton: .375 (3-for-8), HR, 3 RBI, 1.194 OPS

A's - Jack Cust: Cust is a slugger, who doesn't hit for average, but can hit a ball a long, long way. He also draws a lot of walks, as his .406 OBP shows us. So far this season he's hitting .247 with 11 HR, 26 RBI, and an OPS of .874. In 13 career games against the Yanks he's hit .258 with 2 HR, 5 RBI, and an OPS of .877.

Cust vs. Wang: NR
Cust vs. Rasner: NR
Cust vs. Pettitte: 2-for-2, HR, 3 RBI

INJURY REPORT

Yankees:
- Ian Kennedy is on the 15-day DL with with a strained right lat muscle and bursitis under the right shoulder blade.
- Phil Hughes is out until at least July with a stress fracture of the rib.
- Brian Bruney is out with an injured foot, but could return after the All Star Game.
- Jonathan Albaladejo is on the 15-day DL with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament and a strained posterior capsule in his elbow.
- Kyle Farnsworth is day-to-day with a sore bicep.

A's:
- Huston Street is day-to-day with a strained groin.

- Santiago Casilla is on the 15-day DL with an elbow injury, but he could make a pair of rehab appearances on Tuesday and Friday of this week.
- Bobby Crosby is day-to-day with a sprained ankle.
- Mike Sweeney is expected to miss four to six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
- Frank Thomas is rehabbing a knee/quad injury.
- Joey Devine is on the 15-day DL with an elbow injury.
- Donnie Murphy is on the 15-day DL with an elbow injury.