Thu Jul 3 11:38:00 2008

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Looking up in AL East, Red Sox and Yanks get together in the Bronx

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(Sports Network) - There's always something big on the line whenever the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox face one another. First place in the American League East will not be up for grabs, however, when these two bitter rivals start up a key four-game series tonight at Yankee Stadium.

It's customary to find one of these two powerhouses sitting atop the AL East whenever these longtime foes get together. That distinction now belongs to the surprising Tampa Bay Rays, who padded their lead in the division with an impressive three-game home sweep of the struggling Red Sox earlier in the week.

Boston now trails the Rays by 3 1/2 games following Wednesday's 7-6 setback at Tropicana Field, the fifth loss in a row for the defending world champions.

The Red Sox held a 4-1 lead after 6 1/2 innings, but Tampa Bay erupted for six runs off the Boston bullpen in the bottom of the seventh and held on to complete the sweep.

Manny Delcarmen and Craig Hansen each surrendered three runs during the ill- fated seventh inning, and neither reliever managed to record a single out. Hansen (1-3), who walked two of the three batters he faced, was charged with the loss after allowing the go-ahead run to reach base.

Daisuke Matsuzaka held the Rays to just one run over the first five innings, but the Boston starter was removed prior to the sixth after laboring through 101 pitches.

Dustin Pedroia went 4-for-5 with a home run, two doubles and a triple for the Red Sox, who are now 1-5 on a 10-game road trip and just 19-27 as the visitor this season. The second baseman is riding a 10-game hit streak and is batting a torrid .568 (25-for-44) during the tear.

J.D. Drew, named the American League's Player of the Month for June on Wednesday, finished 2-for-4 with an RBI triple in defeat.

The Yankees are enduring their share of recent struggles as well. New York currently sits four games behind the hated Red Sox in the standings and had lost three in a row prior to Wednesday's 18-7 rout of visiting Texas.

Trailing 7-6 after 6 1/2 innings, the Yankees exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the seventh to avoid a potential three-game sweep by the Rangers. Jason Giambi put New York ahead with a two-run double and Alex Rodriguez capped the huge inning with a three-run homer, the All-Star third baseman's 535th of his career.

Giambi also belted a grand slam in the third inning, while Johnny Damon, Bobby Abreu and Jorge Posada all knocked in two runs for the Bronx Bombers. Damon finished 3-for-6 with three runs scored.

Rodriguez's blast moved him past Jimmy Foxx and into sole possession of 14th place on baseball's all-time home run list. He is one shy of tying Yankee legend Mickey Mantle for 13th.

Edwar Ramirez (2-0) picked up the win with two scoreless innings in relief of ex-Ranger Sidney Ponson, who was rocked for seven runs and nine hits in five innings of work against his former team.

The Red Sox will take their swings against a familiar opponent in tonight's opener. New York's Andy Pettitte has made 29 regular-season appearances, including 27 starts, in this rivalry. The veteran lefty has also had good success when facing Boston, having compiled a 15-6 record and a 3.45 earned run average in this series.

Pettitte also enters this evening's tilt on a roll. The 36-year-old has won four straight starts and allowed only three runs in 27 innings over that outstanding stretch. He has won six consecutive decisions overall and hasn't lost in eight outings since a 7-4 defeat to the Mets on May 17.

In his most recent mound trip, Pettitte held the Mets to two runs -- both coming on solo homers -- and five hits over six innings to lead the Yankees to a 3-2 victory over their fellow city tenants.

Pettitte and Yankee closer Mariano Rivera have an opportunity to tie a major league record tonight. The longtime teammates have combined for 54 victories in which Pettitte was the winning pitcher and Rivera recorded the save. That's one shy of the mark set by Oakland's Bob Welch and Dennis Eckersley.

Boston counters with Jon Lester in the opener. Like Pettitte, the young lefty hasn't been dealt a loss in quite a while, as he's gone 3-0 in six starts since getting beat by Oakland back on May 25.

Lester wasn't in top form in his most recent start, however. Against Houston this past Saturday, the 24-year-old was tagged for a season-high six runs on nine hits through five innings. He wound up with a no-decision in a 11-10 Boston loss.

Prior to that game, Lester had given up only four runs in 27 2/3 innings over a four-start stretch to begin June and won three times during that span.

His lone participation in the Red Sox-Yankee rivalry came on August 18, 2006 at Fenway Park. Lester did not receive a decision in that contest despite allowing seven runs and eight hits and lasting only 3 2/3 innings.

Boston owns a 3-2 edge over New York in this year's season series, with the teams having split a two-game set at Yankee Stadium in mid-April. The Yankees won six of nine tests with the Red Sox as the host last year.