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Yankees-Diamondbacks Preview

Jun 22, 2010 - 7:10 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

New York (43-27) at Arizona (28-43), 9:40 p.m. EDT

The only time the New York Yankees dropped a series to the Arizona Diamondbacks was in 2001, and that one lasted seven games.

With their thin AL East lead growing even more precarious, the Yankees look to avoid another series loss to the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night.

New York's edge atop the division dropped to a half-game with a 10-4 loss to Arizona (28-43) on Monday. The Yankees (43-27) had won two in a row but couldn't overcome another poor start by A.J. Burnett, who gave up five runs and three homers in the first inning and left after allowing seven runs in four innings.

With second-place Boston and Tampa Bay idle Monday, the Yankees missed an opportunity to create some breathing room as they faced a team that sits last in the NL West.

Arizona had dropped five of six and was held to four hits in a 3-1 loss to Detroit on Sunday, but finished with 13 hits and recorded its highest run total in 30 games in the opener against New York.

"We responded well to that energy," manager A.J. Hinch said. "I thought there was a ton of it from the beginning, even batting practice. It comes with playing the Yankees. ... They were fighting each other, Yankee fans and D-backs fans, and that produced an event, a great night that lifted up a lot of our players and they responded."

Miguel Montero had three hits and two RBIs while Justin Upton homered twice, hitting a three-run shot in the eighth. Montero is batting .382 with seven RBIs and seven extra-base hits since coming off the disabled list.

He will try to extend an eight-game hitting streak when he faces Andy Pettitte (8-2, 2.47 ERA) for the first time.

Pettitte pitched well in his last start, but suffered the loss after allowing three runs and striking out seven over seven innings of a 7-1 defeat to Philadelphia on Thursday.

The left-hander is 2-5 with a 4.24 ERA in six starts and one relief appearance against the Diamondbacks, who defeated Pettitte and the Yankees in the 2001 World Series. He will be facing them for the first time since 2007.

New York starters have a 4.61 ERA in interleague play compared to 3.62 ERA against the AL.

The Diamondbacks won for 11th time in 16 games at home, where they have not lost a series since May 10-12. Arizona will try to keep rolling at Chase Field behind Dan Haren (7-5, 4.71).

The right-hander struggled in his last start, giving up six runs - four earned - in 5 2-3 innings of an 8-5 loss to Boston on Thursday. He had won his previous two starts and is 18-4 with a 2.56 ERA in his career in June.

The right-hander is 4-0 with a 3.77 ERA in seven starts versus the Yankees. In his last start against them July 1, 2007, he defeated Pettitte, who lasted 1 2-3 innings and gave up eight runs in an 11-5 Oakland win.

Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano are each 6 for 19 against Haren. Brett Gardner, who went 4 for 4 with two runs Monday, has not faced him.