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Yankees-Indians Preview

May 29, 2009 - 2:33 AM By DAN PIERINGER STATS Writer

New York (27-20) at Cleveland (20-28), 7:05 p.m. EDT

The New York Yankees have stumbled a bit after putting together their longest winning streak in nearly two years. With Jorge Posada ready to rejoin the team, however, the Yankees aren't sweating their losses over the last week.

Posada expects to return to the lineup to catch Andy Pettitte as the Yankees visit Cliff Lee and the Cleveland Indians in the opener a four-game series Friday night.

After winning nine straight games for the first time since June 5-14, 2007, New York (27-20) has split its last six. But the Yankees feel pretty good about where they are with Posada set to come off the disabled list before Friday's game. The five-time All-Star has been sidelined since straining his right hamstring May 4.

"The hamstring is feeling good," Posada said after playing six innings in an extended spring training game Thursday. "I'm happy with everything. The most important thing was just running, seeing some pitches and getting the timing down."

Posada was one of several key Yankees to be limited by injury early this season. Three-time AL MVP Alex Rodriguez is still rounding into form after missing the first month while recovering from hip surgery, and two-time All-Star outfielder Hideki Matsui hasn't been able to play the field yet because of knee problems.

Despite those setbacks, New York pulled into a tie with Boston for first place in the AL East with a 9-2 win over Texas on Wednesday night. The Red Sox moved one-half game ahead by winning Thursday, when the Yankees were idle.

"It's huge. We have a great division," first baseman Mark Teixeira told the Yankees' official Web site. "Our division, top to bottom, is the toughest in baseball, I think. With a lot of things probably not going exactly the way we wanted it the first month ... for us to be in this position now feels good."

Cleveland (21-28) is in last place in the AL Central, but it showed signs of progress while completing a four-game sweep of reigning AL champion Tampa Bay. The Indians averaged 7.5 runs and batted .287 during their first four-game winning streak of 2009.

"It's tough to get a four-game sweep at this level," manager Eric Wedge told the Indians' official Web site after his club capped the series with a 2-1 victory Thursday. "I've got so much respect for the teams we play, and it's tough to do. But the guys are really coming together and playing much better baseball."

They'll put their win streak on the line with Lee (2-5, 3.04 ERA) on the mound. The defending Cy Young Award winner has delivered eight straight quality starts after opening the season with two sub-par outings, but the Indians are just 2-6 during that span. Lee held Cincinnati to three runs in six innings of Cleveland's 4-3, 11-inning loss Sunday.

Lee is 4-3 with a 5.09 ERA in eight starts against the Yankees, including a 10-2 victory April 16 in which he held them to one run over six innings.

Despite Lee's strong performance in that game, New York is near the top of the majors with a .313 batting average against left-handers.

The Yankees will counter with their own southpaw in Pettitte (4-1, 4.30). New York is 7-2 in games started by Pettitte, who gave up four runs in seven innings of the team's 5-4 victory over Philadelphia on Saturday.

Pettitte was 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA in two games against Cleveland in 2008, both New York losses.

Indians shortstop Jhonny Peralta is 5 for 11 (.455) with two homers, a triple and a double in his career against Pettitte.

Rodriguez is 5 for 13 (.385) with two homers and three walks lifetime against Lee. Matsui, who homered twice in New York's last game, is 5 for 14 (.357) against him.