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Yankees welcome first-place Rays

Jul 8, 2008 - 12:55 PM Tampa Bay (55-33) at NY Yankees (47-42) 7:05 p.m. EDT

BRONX, New York (Ticker) -- The New York Yankees will attempt to make up ground in the American League East when they host the Tampa Bay Rays Tuesday in the opener of a two-game series.

The first-place Rays have opened a healthy lead in the division, winning 11 of their last 13 games and cruising to the best record in baseball.

They extended their lead over the Boston Red Sox with a three-game sweep last week and followed that by grabbing three of four from the Kansas City Royals - opening the gap over the third-place Yankees to 8 1/2 games.

New York is coming off an emotional four-game series split against rival Boston.

After being shutout in the series opener, manager Joe Girardi held a closed-door meeting that lasted over 30 minutes and followed it up with a combative press conference.

The Yankees then dropped the second game of the set, but rebounded, edging the Red Sox, 2-1, on Saturday and earning a 5-4 walk-off victory on Sunday when rookie Brett Gardner grounded a single up the middle in the 10th.

While the Yankees will send three players to the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium next week, the Rays had more than one player elected to the squad for just the second time in franchise history. Lefthander Scott Kazmir was voted in by the players and battery-mate Dioner Navarro got the call from Red Sox manager Terry Francona.

Kazmir (7-3, 2.62 ERA) will get the start in the opener against the Yankees, looking to last six innings or more for the first time since June 11. The 24-year-old allowed more than three earned runs in a start for the first time this season Wednesday against the Red Sox, being touched for four runs and seven hits while walking four in five innings.

Kazmir, who did not factor in the decision against Boston, has issued 12 walks in 20 1/3 innings over his last four outings.

New York will counter with veteran Andy Pettitte (9-6, 4.22). Like Kazmir, Pettitte is coming off a rough outing against the Red Sox. He was charged with six runs - five earned - and nine hits in 4.2 frames and suffered the loss Thursday - his first setback since May 17.