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Yankees look to Pettitte in rubber game vs. Red Sox

Jun 3, 2007 - 1:13 PM Ny Yankees (23-30) at Boston (37-17), 8:05 pm EDT

BOSTON (Ticker) -- In order to take the rubber game of this pivotal series with the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees pin their hopes on Andy Pettitte.

Pettitte and the Yankees look to make up ground on the Division-leading Red Sox when the teams face off Sunday night.

New York is 13 1/2 games behind Boston after suffering an 11-6 loss Saturday afternoon. A victory here would go a long way from erasing the memory of two Derek Jeter errors and the loss of first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz who suffered a mild concussion, a cervical sprain and a fractured bone in his right wrist in a collision with Mike Lowell at fist base.

Pettitte (3-4, 2.51 ERA), who is fourth in the American League in ERA, has surrendered three runs or fewer in six consecutive starts while pitching at least seven innings in his last five appearances.

The veteran lefthander is 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA in three starts this season against the Red Sox, including a one run and nine hit effort over seven innings in an 8-3 home victory on May 23. Pettitte is 14-6 with a 3.19 ERA in 24 career regular-season starts against Boston.

The Red Sox counter with Josh Beckett (8-0, 2.65), who looks to keep his perfect record intact as he faces the Yankees for the second time in 2007. The righthander was sharp in his first start off the disabled list Tuesday, limiting Cleveland to two runs and three hits in seven innings in a 4-2 victory.

Beckett is the first Red Sox starter to win his first eight decisions since Roger Clemens opened 14-0 in 1986. The 27-year old did have his worst performance this season against New York on April 21. He allowed five runs and nine hits through 6 1-3 innings in a 7-5 victory, and is 3-2 with an 8.44 ERA in five career regular-season starts against them.

Pettitte and the Yankees have lost six of eight and he has to be aware of Boston slugger Manny Ramirez, who is batting .418 (28-for-67) with three homers off him.