• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Rodriguez, Yankees hope to sweep Indians

Aug 12, 2007 - 12:59 PM Ny Yankees (65-51) at Cleveland (65-52) 1:05 pm EDT

CLEVELAND (Ticker) - Alex Rodriguez will look to continue his MVP-like campaign when the New York Yankees try to complete a three-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.

Rodriguez belted two home runs in Saturday's 11-2 victory over the Indians. The 32-year-old third baseman is batting .301 with 39 home runs and 114 RBI this season.

Rodriguez, who is looking to pick up his third American League MVP award, has three blasts in the first two games of this series.

Jake Westbrook (3-6, 5.00 ERA) will get the start for Cleveland and hope to shut down Rodriguez and the rest of New York's high-powered offense. The 29-year-old Westbrook has won his last two starts, surrendering just one run and seven hits over 14 innings.

The Indians, who have lost nine of their last 14 games, hold a one-half game lead over Detroit in the AL Central.

The Yankees counter with Andy Pettitte (8-7, 4.00), who has won four of his last five decisions. The 12-year veteran yielded three runs and six hits with four walks and seven strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings in a 5-4 triumph over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.

New York, which has gone a major league-best 22-8 since the All-Star break, is tied with Seattle in the wild card race and pulled within five games of Boston in the AL East.