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Yankees look to match Detroit in race for AL's best record

Sep 25, 2006 - 2:59 PM NY Yankees (93-62) at Tampa Bay (60-95) 7:15 pm EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- Already having secured their ninth consecutive American League East Division title, the New York Yankees have designs on homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Yankees look to tie for the league's best record in Monday's finale of a four-game series against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

New York fell one-half game off the pace in the hunt for the league's best mark with back-to-back losses here over the weekend. Detroit capitalized by sweeping three games from Kansas City to move into the top spot.

With Jaret Wright (10-7, 4.52 ERA) on the mound, the Yankees attempt to match the idle Tigers with a victory Monday. Wright allowed four hits and recorded a season-high 10 strikeouts in six innings of a 1-0 win in his last start here July 7, improving to 4-1 with a 2.48 ERA in seven career outings at Tropicana Field.

Wright has recorded a quality start in each of his last three tries overall, going 1-0 with a 3.37 ERA. The righthander has allowed just seven hits in his last 12 1/3 innings.

The Devil Rays counter with Jae Seo (1-6, 4.10), who has gone 0-1 despite a 2.68 ERA in eight starts since a 19-6 win at New York on July 29. Tampa Bay has scored a total of 25 runs in games started by Seo since that rout.

In eight career starts at Tropicana Field, Seo has a mark of 0-3 with a 4.11 ERA. The South Korean righthander has a lifetime record of 1-2 with a 5.32 ERA in four starts against the Yankees.