Because of the rain out on Friday, tonight will be the rubber match of this shortened three-game series.
Andy Pettitte takes the hill against Andy Sonnanstine.
Pettitte has lost the strike zone recently; he's walked 10 batters in his last 10 innings. If he can avoid the walks, he'll have a fine night. Pettitte has a lengthy career against the Rays, spanning 159.2 innings of 3.78 ERA ball. His last game against Tampa came on May 7 when he allowed five runs in five innings.
Sonnanstine, meanwhile, has struggled all season (except against the Yankees). His 2009 ERA stands at 7.07 thanks to 78 hits in 56 innings, but his best start was on May 6 when he allowed two runs in 7.1 innings in the Bronx. His career against the Yanks has been rough: 36 innings, 5.00 ERA, 7 HR.
Matsui (1.385 OPS) and A-Rod (1.000) are the only Yankees with outstanding numbers against him. On the flip-side, Swisher (.398 OPS) and Melky (.250) can't touch him.
FYI, Phil Hughes hasn't pitched in a week, so we'll hopefully see him tonight.