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Yankees-Blue Jays Preview

Aug 25, 2010 - 3:43 PM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

New York (78-48) at Toronto (65-60), 7:07 p.m. EDT

The New York Yankees evened their series against the Toronto Blue Jays with the kind of run support they usually give to Phil Hughes.

The Yankees have won the last six starts Hughes has made against the Blue Jays, and he'll take the mound for Wednesday night's finale of this three-game set at Rogers Centre.

New York (78-48) has turned in some big offensive efforts over the last week, coincidentally with Alex Rodriguez out of the lineup. The Yankees have scored 50 runs over their last five victories despite the absence of their superstar third baseman, who is on the disabled list with a left calf strain.

Five Yankees homered in an 11-5 victory Tuesday. That group included Mark Teixeira and Jorge Posada, who each went 4 for 5 with two RBIs as part of a 17-hit attack that was one shy of New York's season high.

"We have power in our lineup and we had production from a lot of people tonight," manager Joe Girardi said.

Derek Jeter, Marcus Thames and Curtis Granderson also connected as the Yankees won for the sixth time in eight games.

Hughes (15-5, 3.90 ERA) usually benefits from that kind of offense, as he gets a major league-best 7.93 runs of support per start, more than a run better than anyone else.

The right-hander has gone 2-1 with a 3.98 ERA in seven career starts versus the Blue Jays (65-60), with the Yankees winning the last six. Toronto sluggers Vernon Wells (.211), Aaron Hill (.133) and Adam Lind (.143) have struggled against him.

This will be his first start in Toronto since 2008 after going 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA in his first two. He's 6-2 with a 2.81 ERA in nine road starts this year.

Hughes took advantage of another big effort at the plate Thursday against Detroit, allowing two runs over six innings of an 11-5 victory.

He faces a tough mound opponent Wednesday in left-hander Brett Cecil (10-6, 3.90), who is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in two starts against New York this year. Left-handed hitters Robinson Cano and Granderson combined for 11 hitless at-bats against Cecil in those games.

Cecil moved to 6-1 with a 2.13 ERA in eight starts against AL East opponents Friday, limiting Boston to two runs over 6 2-3 innings of a 16-2 road victory.

New York right fielder Nick Swisher left Tuesday's game after fouling a pitch off his left knee. Swisher, 9 for 39 with 11 strikeouts in his last 12 games, was limping around the clubhouse and wearing a wrap on his knee after the game but said he hoped to play Wednesday.

"You know me, I don't want to be out of the lineup," he said. "Whatever I can do to get back in that lineup tomorrow I'm going to do."

Toronto's Jose Bautista went 1 for 2 with two walks Tuesday after homering twice and driving in three runs in Monday's 3-2 win. Bautista is 15 for 39 against New York this year.