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Royals-Yankees Preview

Sep 30, 2009 - 5:07 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Kansas City (64-93) at New York (101-56), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Joba Chamberlain was simply outstanding against the New York Yankees' archrivals in his last start. It remains to be seen, though, if he'll earn a start in the postseason.

He'll start the Yankees' regular-season home finale Wednesday night when New York looks for an eighth straight win and a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals.

Chamberlain (9-6, 4.72 ERA) had been 0-4 with an 8.42 ERA in eight starts before earning a 9-5 victory over Boston on Friday. He retired the first 11 batters and gave up three runs over six innings.

"You've just got to be challenged," Chamberlain said. "There's a lot of people in this game that want your job and you know when it comes down to it you have to look like they're going to try to take money off your table and try to take away wins and a championship away from you."

Manager Joe Girardi has not said yet whether Chamberlain will start in the postseason or pitch out of the bullpen. The Yankees (102-56) have limited the right-hander's pitch counts down the stretch in preparation for the playoffs.

"I wouldn't say that we read him the riot act," Girardi said. "We just had a discussion that we knew he was capable of pitching better and that we need to see him pitch better."

Chamberlain made his first career start against Kansas City (64-94) on June 8, 2008, and has no record with a 2.61 ERA in two starts versus the Royals.

New York returned most of its regulars to the lineup Tuesday after putting out a makeshift lineup in the series opener because the club clinched the AL East title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with Sunday's 4-2 win over the Red Sox. Girardi pulled many of his starters through the course of a 4-3 victory Tuesday.

The Yankees posted their major league-best 15th walk-off win as Juan Miranda singled in the winning run off former New York reliever Kyle Farnsworth in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap a two-run rally.

Farnsworth was summoned to protect a 3-2 lead because closer Joakim Soria thew 46 pitches in a two-inning save Sunday in a 4-1 victory over Minnesota.

The Royals have dropped six of seven overall and 25 of 29 in the Bronx.

New York can break a major league record for most wins in the first year of a new ballpark. The Yankees are 57-23 at home, and Boston went 57-20 at Fenway Park in 1912 en route to a World Series title.

Robinson Tejeda (4-2, 3.41) will make his sixth start of the year for Kansas City after going 3-1 with a 2.36 ERA in his first five. His three-start winning streak ended Friday against Minnesota as he allowed six runs over 4 1-3 innings in a 9-4 loss.

The right-hander is 0-3 with a 10.38 ERA in three career starts against the Yankees from 2006-07. Since those outings, he has logged 5 1-3 hitless innings of relief.