Yankees 6 - 2 Rays
Final
  for this game

Yankees try again to end skid against Rays

May 17, 2011 - 2:48 PM

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(Sports Network) - The New York Yankees hope to avoid their seventh straight loss this evening when they conclude a brief two-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.

After a weekend sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees' struggles continued on Monday, as B.J. Upton's two-run home run capped a five- run sixth inning for the Rays in Tampa's 6-5 come-from-behind win.

Sam Fuld also hit a two-run homer in the big sixth, while Johnny Damon added a solo shot and Matt Joyce hit an RBI single for Tampa Bay, which had dropped the final two games of a weekend set against Baltimore. The Rays scored just six runs during the entire three-game series, but matched that total Monday and increased their lead in the AL East over the Yankees to three games.

Curtis Granderson hit his 14th home run of the season, a three-run blast that gave New York a 5-1 edge in the fifth. But starter A.J. Burnett (4-3) gave up the lead in the next inning for the Yankees, who are in the midst of their worst stretch since losing seven straight in April of 2007.

"I've got to pick us up right there," Burnett said. "Take nothing away from the Rays, they're a good-hitting team, but I had way too good of stuff tonight. I was locating early, mixing early, and it just got away. You can't allow that to happen."

The Yankees are hitting .227 during the current slide and the rotation has pitched to a 6.15 ERA.

"This is going to turn around," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We're going through a really tough stretch. This is where you're tested as a team, and you've got to fight through it."

It doesn't figure to get any easier for the struggling Yanks tonight, as they go up against one of the hottest pitchers in baseball this evening in right- hander James Shields, who has won his last four decisions. Shields won his second straight start on Thursday in Cleveland, as he held the Tribe to a pair of runs and seven hits in seven innings, upping his mark to 4-1, while lowering his earned run average to 2.08. Shields also struck out seven and picked off two runners.

"This is something Shields has done for a long time," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "He looks for those moments. He knows he can get an out that way."

Shields has now allowed just five runs in his last five starts and has surrendered more than two runs in just one of his eight starts this season.

The right-hander, though, has struggled against the Yankees, posting a 3-8 mark to go along with a 4.91 ERA in 15 starts.

New York, meanwhile, will rely on righty Ivan Nova, who had a two-start winning streak stopped his last time out. Nova was beaten by the Kansas City Royals on Thursday, as he allowed eight runs (four earned) and 10 hits in just three-plus innings of work. He is 3-3 on the year with a 4.70 ERA.

"I didn't think he had his good stuff," manager Joe Girardi said. "I didn't think he had a good curveball tonight. It just seemed to be rolling tonight. His fastball was up in the zone."

Nova faced the Rays twice last season, but didn't get a decision in either outing and pitched to a 6.97 in the contests.

Tampa took 10 of 18 from the Yankees last season.






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