Yanks Tab Kuroda To Avoid A Series Loss

ARLINGTON -- The Yankees have run into rough times, losing six of their past eight games, losing two of the first three games in their series against the Texas Rangers, scoring just a lone run combined in both losses. Luckily enough, whatever the Yankees do, the Red Sox follow suit, so the Yanks haven't fallen farther than seven games back in the standings this week.

But now they  must try to salvage one final game in Texas before heading back home to face the red hot Tampa Bay Rays, starting Friday in the Bronx.

Today's Lineup, 2:05 EST @ Rangers Ballpark:

Ichiro RF
Lillibridge 3B
Cano DH
Wells LF
Nunez SS
Adams 2B
Overbay 1B
Mesa CF
Romine C

Kuroda P

Pitching Preview:

As you may have read over the past few days, I've started to call Hiroki Kuroda the new ace of the Yankees. Today, he'll get a chance to prove his case when he faces a Rangers club that he's already beaten once this year.

Kuroda took the mound against the Rangers June 25th at Yankee Stadium, when he gave up three runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings, coming home with the win.

Kuroda and his 2.60 ERA last took the mound last Saturday against the Boston Red Sox, in which Kuroda held Boston to two runs over seven plus innings.

"[Kuroda] had everything," Girardi said after that game. "His stuff was really crisp. He kept his pitch count down in the early innings. His stuff was really sharp."

Derek Holland will be tasked with trying to follow up Matt Garza's solid Ranger debut Wednesday night, when he threw 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball, yielding only five hits to the weak Bombers lineup.

Holland will also be trying to recreate the stellar outing he had against the Yankees on June 27th at Yankee Stadium. Holland tossed a two-hit shutout, mowing down the Yanks' bats with ease.

"When you attack the strike zone, you can do that," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said after Holland's shutout. "That's the bottom line, and I thought that's what he did."

In his career, Holland's 7.21 ERA against the Yankees is his second-highest mark against any American League team, and the lefty is 0-2 with a 10.29 ERA against the Bombers at Rangers Ballpark.

"I'm going to do the same thing I've always done, and that's go after them," Holland said. "You can't change, no matter how good you did or bad you did before. I just want to go back out there and keep the momentum going."

Yankee Notes:

* Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that Derek Jeter is scheduled to run the bases today, signifying that we could see Jeter back in action when he becomes eligible to play Saturday if all goes well.

* An unnamed Yankee player told the New York Daily News that Alex Rodriguez causes a circus around the Yankees' clubhouse.

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