• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Rockies pay a visit to Yankee Stadium

Jun 24, 2011 - 3:07 PM (Sports Network) - The Colorado Rockies make their first Bronx appearance in quite some time this evening when they start a three-game series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

The Rockies were swept in their last visit to the old Yankee Stadium back in 2004, but returned the favor in 2007 when they took all three games from the Yanks at Coors Field.

Tonight, though, they face a Yankee team that has won seven of their last nine games to move within a half-game of the Boston Red Sox for the lead in the American League East. The Yanks enter this series on the heels of taking two of three from the Cincinnati Reds, but were denied a sweep on Wednesday, falling 10-2, in the nightcap of a day/night doubleheader.

New York was off on Thursday but received some troubling news, as it was learned that Derek Jeter's calf injury is not responding as the team would have hoped, meaning he could be on the disabled list longer than originally thought.

Jeter, of course, is within six hits of becoming the 28th player -- and first in a Yankees uniform -- to reach the 3,000-hit milestone.

Hoping to get the Yankees back on track tonight will be righty A.J. Burnett, who snapped a two-start losing streak his last time out. Burnett defeated Chicago on Saturday, as he held the Cubs to a pair of runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings to run his record to 7-5, while lowering his ERA to 4.05. He also struck out eight batters for the second straight start.

Burnett has faced the Rockies four times and is 2-2 with a 2.40 ERA against them.

The Rockies were also denied a series sweep in Ohio on Wednesday, as they dropped a 4-3 decision to the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Still and all, though, Colorado's loss was only its second in its last eight games.

Tonight, Colorado will rely on Dominican right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, who is just 2-7 on the year with a 4.68 ERA. Jimenez picked up a win in his last start on Saturday against Detroit, as he gave up three runs and eight hits in five innings.

He is 5-1 with a 4.18 ERA in his last seven interleague starts, but tonight's outing will be his first-ever against the Yankees.

"It's going to be a really big experience, not only for me but everybody that hasn't been there," Jimenez said. "There's a lot of history about the Yankees team. They have a lot of pride. They have a lot of honor. They've won 20- something World Series. That says a lot about the team."