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Jul 3, 2015 - 7:17 PM The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays are searching for offense.

Both could have trouble generating any Friday night against the pitchers they are facing.

The Yankees have never defeated Chris Archer while the Rays have yet to beat Masahiro Tanaka as these right-handers open a three-game series in the Bronx.

New York (42-37) ended a three-game slide with Wednesday's 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels, capping a 3-4 trip in which it batted .214 and totaled 18 runs, scoring three or fewer six times.

"There's going to be times offenses struggle, everyone knows that," manager Joe Girardi said. "We've had a lot of big outputs and at times we've struggled just like anyone else."

Tampa Bay (42-39) is one loss shy of a season-high six-game slide from May 23-29. The Rays have totaled 11 runs with six walks and 51 strikeouts in this losing streak, capping a four-game sweep by Cleveland with Thursday's 5-4, 10-inning loss.

Archer (9-5, 2.31 ERA) and Tanaka (4-3, 3.88) have enjoyed success against each other's teams. Tampa Bay has won all seven of Archer's starts against New York while Tanaka is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in two career starts versus the Rays.

Archer is 5-0 with a 2.02 ERA against the Yankees. He's bidding to become the eighth pitcher to win his first six decisions against New York among players whose career began in 1914 or later; journeyman Mark Guthrie is the latest.

Tampa Bay has won 14 of his last 15 road starts, with Archer 6-0 with a major league-best 0.90 ERA in six in 2015.

Brett Gardner is 7 for 18 against Archer and batting .462 over a nine-game hitting streak, but many of his teammates haven't fared too well in this matchup. Stephen Drew is 1 for 12, Brian McCann is 2 for 11 and Alex Rodriguez and Chase Headley are each 0 for 5.

Archer gave up five runs over six innings in a 5-3 defeat to Boston on Sunday after going 6-0 with a 1.61 ERA in his previous nine starts. He allowed a career-high three homers.

Tanaka never yielded more than two homers in any outing until allowing three in five-inning stints in each of his last two. He was charged with six runs and did not get a decision in Saturday's 9-6 win at Houston.

"We'll get it ironed out," Girardi said. "We know what he's capable of doing."

David DeJesus is 3 for 6 against Tanaka, though he's mired in a 1-for-26 slump.

DeJesus isn't alone in his struggles. Evan Longoria is 3 for 18 during this losing streak, Kevin Kiermaier is 1 for 18 in that span and Logan Forsythe 1 for 15.

New York can relate. Rodriguez is in a 4-for-23 slump, Mark Teixeira a 2-for-24 slide and McCann a 3-for-19 stretch.

The Rays' James Loney is expected to return after being out since May 24 with a broken finger, while New York's Carlos Beltran was placed on the disabled list hours before this game because of a strained left oblique muscle.

The Rays have won 11 of their last 14 on the road. They are 4-6 overall against New York.