Mon May 12 11:29:09 2008

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Rays try to extend home winning streak vs. Yankees

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(Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Rays try to extend their franchise-record home-winning streak to 10 games this evening when they start a four-game series with the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field.

Extending the streak may be easier said than done, though for the Rays, who have dropped four straight and six of their last eight to the Yankees. Tampa is also just 15-27 in the series since the start of the 2005 campaign, including losses in six of its last seven at home to New York.

Tampa moved five games above .500 for the first time in team history on Sunday, as Carl Crawford blasted the go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning and the Rays used 15 hits to beat the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 8-5, completing a three-game weekend sweep.

Crawford had three hits and stole two bases, while Akinori Iwamura finished 3- for-5 and scored twice for the Rays, who won for the fourth straight time and improved to 13-5 over their last 18 games overall.

Rays starter Andy Sonnanstine went five innings, surrendering five runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out three. J.P. Howell (2-0) came on to pitch three strong innings, retiring seven straight and nine of 10 to secure the win.

Troy Percival came on in the ninth to record his ninth save of the season.

Matt Garza hopes to keep Tampa in the win column this evening, as he tries to follow up his best performance of the year. Unfortunately for the 24-year-old right-hander, though, he absorbed the loss against Toronto Wednesday, despite surrendering just a run and six hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Garza, who is 1-1 on the season with a 4.91 earned run average, is 0-1 in two games (one start) against the Yankees, pitching to a 4.91 ERA in those outings.

New York will counter with Andy Pettitte, who was scheduled to pitch on Sunday for the Bronx Bombers, but their game in Detroit was postponed due to rain.

Pettitte will try to get back into the win column after going 0-2 in his last three starts, and is coming off an outing in which he held the Cleveland Indians to just two runs on five hits. Pettitte struck out six batters and only walked one, but finished with a no-decision, while the Yankees fell by a final score of 5-3.

The 35-year-old left-hander has been successful on the road this season, posting a strong 3-1 record with an equally impressive 2.81 ERA. Overall Pettitte is an even 3-3 on the season and comes into this game with a mediocre 3.77 ERA.

Pettitte lost to Tampa earlier in the year, but is an impressive 14-3 lifetime against the Rays with a 3.62 ERA in 23 games, 22 of which have been starts.

New York, meanwhile, enters tonight's opener with wins in five of its last eight games, but still finds itself four games back of the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox, and 2 1/2 games behind the Rays.

A pair of Yankees, though, seem to have broken out of their season-long slumps, as Robinson Cano has hit in six straight games, while Jason Giambi is 5-for-his-last 13 with six RBI and five extra-base hits. However, they are still batting .185 and .183, respectively.