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Athletics-Yankees Preview

Jul 24, 2009 - 7:00 PM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Oakland (40-54) at New York (58-37), 7:05 p.m. EDT

The New York Yankees are the hottest team in the majors, but if they want to win an eighth straight game Friday, they'll have to go through perhaps the league's hottest pitcher.

Oakland rookie Brett Anderson has been all but untouchable lately, and it would be especially impressive if he could keep his run going at Yankee Stadium as the Athletics and Yankees continue their four-game set.

New York (58-37) has surged 2 1/2 games ahead of second-place Boston in the AL East thanks to its 20-5 record in the last month, and the team's second seven-game winning streak over that span was secured with a 6-3 victory in Thursday's series opener.

The latest streak has coincided with the start of the Yankees' 10-game homestand, and they're now 33-16 at their new ballpark. Mark Teixeira homered and drove in three runs in the most recent victory.

"We expect to win every night," said Teixeira, who has three homers and seven RBIs during the win streak.

Anderson, however, already has proved he can handle a difficult road atmosphere, as his two-hit shutout of Boston at Fenway Park on July 6 began his current streak of 21 consecutive scoreless innings. He has allowed a total of seven hits during that stretch.

The 21-year-old left-hander was pulled from his July 12 start at Tampa Bay after four innings due to back stiffness, but the All-Star break appeared to get him healthy.

Anderson took a perfect game into the seventh inning Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels before finishing with two hits allowed without a walk in eight innings, although the A's lost 1-0 in 10 innings.

"It was one of the best starts I've seen," A's manager Bob Geren told his team's official Web site. "He was outstanding in Boston, and was equally good, if not better, today. He had all his pitches going and made real good pitch selection."

The Yankees didn't appear as impressed with Anderson (5-7, 4.25 ERA) on April 22, scoring five runs in 5 1-3 innings against him during New York's 9-7, 14-inning victory. Derek Jeter, Hideki Matsui and Melky Cabrera all homered off Anderson at Yankee Stadium in his third major league start.

Besides leading the majors with a .292 batting average against southpaws, the Yankees also have been getting outstanding pitching lately. New York has a 2.29 ERA during the winning streak, with opponents hitting .230.

Joba Chamberlain (5-2, 4.05) contributed a strong outing Sunday to beat Detroit, allowing a run and three hits in 6 2-3 innings of a 2-1 win.

In his previous three starts, Chamberlain had allowed 16 runs - 10 earned - and 27 hits in 13 1-3 innings, but he said he used the All-Star break to get back on track.

"Being away for four days I kind of realized I was having fun but I wasn't being the Joba Chamberlain I should've been," he said. "... It's back to having fun and being confident and having that little swagger that you need."

Chamberlain was impressive in his only previous start against Oakland, striking out eight and allowing one run in six innings of a 4-3, 12-inning victory July 19, 2008.

The right-hander's job got easier Friday afternoon, when the A's traded slugger Matt Holliday to St. Louis for a package of prospects. Holliday is batting .286 with 11 homers and 54 RBIs.

The last-place A's (40-54) have had trouble scoring for much of the season, but Holliday powered a recent offensive surge in which Oakland scored at least seven runs five times in the last 10 games.

The outfielder batted .390 (16 for 41) with six doubles, three homers and 11 RBIs in those contests.