Ivan Nova (7-4, 3.17 ERA) is on the mound to avoid the sweep against Alex Cobb (8-2, 2.85 ERA). Nova had one bad inning in his last outing, allowing four runs to the Blue Jays, but he straightened out his issues and held the damage there over 6 1/3 frames. He has been one of the Yankees’ best pitchers since late June. “I saw him bounce back in that game, which made me feel good about it,” Joe Girardi said. “I didn’t make too much of him giving up the four runs in that inning, because when it was all said and done, he ended up giving you seven and he bounced back, and that was the important thing.”
Cobb picked up his eighth win Tuesday night vs. the Orioles in his second start since returning from a two month stint on the disabled list following a concussion. He is 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA in those two starts since his return.
The Rays have dominated the Yankees at Tropicana Field of late, winning 16 of the last 21 meetings, including Saturday’s 4-2 game. Tampa Bay will have a chance to sweep the Yankees for the first time since April 6-8, 2012.
After Saturday’s loss, the Yankees trail the American League East leading Rays and Red Sox by seven games, and they’re 4 1/2 games behind the A’s for the second AL Wild Card spot. “I think that each game that ticks off the schedule, the importance of it becomes greater,” Girardi said. “It’s just different because now you’re the one trying to play catch-up and you can’t afford to have a bad day, so it’s a much different feeling.”
The Yankees plan to activate shortstop Derek Jeter and have him in the starting lineup for Monday’s series opener with the Blue Jays in Toronto. Recovering from a Grade 1 strain of his right calf, Jeter played in his third, and likely final, Minor League rehab game for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, going 1-for-3 with a single. “That’s the plan,” Girardi said. “As long as everything goes OK [on Saturday, Sunday] is probably just a little workout.”
Brett Gardner had precautionary X-rays come back negative after he was hit by a pitch on his right hand during Friday’s 7-2 loss. He pinch-hit in the ninth inning on Saturday and made the final out of the game.
Notes on the game.
Ben Zobrist set a Rays franchise record on Saturday with his 76th consecutive game without an error at second base. He leads all Major League second basemen with a .995 fielding percentage.
Nova has held his opponents homerless in his last 42 2/3 innings.
First pitch at 1:05 PM on Yes,
