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Red Sox-Yankees Preview

Aug 6, 2015 - 4:47 AM It was a rare off night for the New York Yankees offensively, but it's been that way much of the season for one-time staff ace CC Sabathia.

Trying to get on track once more, Sabathia seeks a rare quality outing Thursday night as the Yankees wrap up their series with the Boston Red Sox.

The left-hander has endured a trying season with a career-worst 5.54 ERA. Sabathia (4-8) has not recorded a decision in his three previous starts but has done himself no favors in the last two by allowing 10 runs and 15 hits in 10 2-3 innings.

He should be good to go after a bout of dehydration following his most recent start last Thursday in Texas. The left-hander was reached for five runs and nine hits in five-plus innings while pitching in 101-degree heat in New York's 7-6 defeat.

Sabathia was hospitalized and received IV fluids during an overnight stay at an Arlington hospital before catching up with the team in Chicago the following day.

"I think I'm good," he told MLB's official website Friday. "I usually hydrate really good before games, in between games and in-between innings, nights before. This was just a tough one."

Sabathia has pitched more than six innings just once in his last 12 starts and given up four or more runs in 12 of his 20 outings. One of the good eight ones, though, came at Fenway Park on May 1 when he yielded two runs in six innings before leaving without a decision in New York's 3-2 victory.

Sabathia is 11-12 with a 4.63 ERA lifetime versus the Red Sox, with a 9-8 mark pitching for the Yankees.

The Yankees have not dropped a series since losing two of three to the Los Angels Angels on the road from June 29-July 1. Carlos Beltran extended New York's home run streak to a season-high 11 games with a solo blast in the seventh.

Red Sox slugger David Ortiz is a .239 hitter versus Sabathia with as many hits as strikeouts (16). He belted a towering fourth-inning solo homer in Wednesday night's 2-1 win, ending a seven-game drought without a long ball.

''We don't leave New York without David probably going deep one time. He just put a beautiful swing on the pitch,'' manager John Farrell said.

That swing hasn't surfaced often in the Bronx this year - Ortiz is 3 for 23 with two solo homers in five games. Pablo Sandoval, though, went 2 for 4 with two doubles and is hitting .375 during a 13-game hitting streak versus New York.

Rookie Eduardo Rodriguez (6-3, 4.34) is seeking his fourth win in five decisions but struggled with his control Friday versus Tampa Bay, giving up three runs and six hits while walking four in five innings and throwing 110 pitches. He did not get a decision as the Red Sox eventually won 7-5.

The left-hander won his lone start against the Yankees on July 11, allowing solo homers to Jacoby Ellsbury and Alex Rodriguez along with three other hits in 6 1-3 innings of a 5-3 victory.

Yankees catcher Brian McCann, who flied out as a pinch-hitter to end Wednesday's game, likely will not start for the second straight contest due to inflammation in his left MCL. Rodriguez, who went 0 for 4, is hitting .207 in eight home games since the All-Star break.