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Sabathia takes mound in finale vs. Rays

May 4, 2014 - 2:58 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - CC Sabathia has lost both of his starts at Yankee Stadium and shoots for success in the rubber match of a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Sabathia was roughed up in New York's 6-3 loss to Seattle in the Bronx on Tuesday, when he allowed four runs and a season-high nine hits over a season- low five innings. Sabathia did not issue a walk and struck out six in falling to 3-3 with a 5.11 earned run average on six outings.

The big left-hander defeated Tampa Bay in a 10-2 win on April 17, as he was touched for just two runs -- one earned -- and seven hits in seven innings. Sabathia has made 35 career starts against the Rays, going 12-13 with a 3.71 ERA.

Tampa Bay will have a lefty of its own on the hill at Yankee Stadium, as Erik Bedard gets the nod. Bedard did not receive a decision in Tuesday's 7-4 loss at Boston and pitched well to the tune of five innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts and three walks.

Bedard has walked eight batters over his last two appearances and is 0-1 with a 5.52 ERA in four games (3 starts) this season. The southpaw pitched 3 2/3 innings in an 11-5 win over the Yankees on April 18 and allowed four runs and six hits in the no-decision.

In 16 career meetings (15 starts) with the Yankees, Bedard owns a 4-5 record with a 4.43 ERA.

New York ended a three-game losing streak with Saturday's 9-3 victory over the Rays, as Mark Teixeira belted a two-run homer and finished with three RBI. Teixeira has five homers and 10 RBI so far this season.

Kelly Johnson homered and Jacoby Ellsbury finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI for the Yankees, who dropped Friday's opener 10-5 in 14 innings and scored nine unanswered runs following a 3-0 hole. Ellsbury has eight hits in his last three games.

Yankees stud right-hander Masahiro Tanaka delivered seven innings of three-run ball with five strikeouts and no walks to improve to 4-0. Dellin Betances and Preston Claiborne each threw a scoreless inning of relief.

"He's going to give you distance and he's going to keep you in the game," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of Tanaka.

After the Yankees close this series with Tampa Bay, they will head west to face the LA Angels and Milwaukee Brewers.

Tampa Bay will try to bounce back and take the series from the Yankees, as it closes out a 10-game road trip.

Desmond Jennings and Wil Myers homered off of Tanaka and James Loney recorded three hits and a run scored for the Rays, who are 4-5 on the road trip. Jake Odorizzi started for the Rays and did not figure into the decision after giving up three runs in four innings.

Josh Lueke was dealt the loss for allowing three runs over the sixth and seventh innings, while Heath Bell was touched for three runs in the eighth.

"If we had just pitched to our normal capabilities, we had a pretty good chance to win that game," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.

Tampa Bay will start a six-game homestand Tuesday versus Baltimore and Cleveland.

The Rays split a four-game series with the Yankees at Tropicana Field earlier in the year.