Pettitte And Yanks Begin 12-Game Playoff Run In Toronto

The New York Yankees need wins, and they need them now. The Yanks are coming off a terrible weekend in Boston the brought them three losses by a combined score of 22-7.

CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda and Ivan Nova gave the Yankees starting efforts that all three would like to forget, and hopefully rebound from in their next starts. Now to mention that the bullpen wasn't very effective, although to Yankee pitcher was in the series.

With 12 games remaining, the Yankees are finally done playing the Red Sox, who beat the Yankees six times in the last two weeks. Now they head into Toronto for the final time this season to play a Blue Jays team that they have pretty much owned this season, winning 13 of the first 16 meetings.

Updated Lineup at Toronto:

Granderson CF
Rodriguez DH
Cano 2B
Soriano LF
Overbay 1B
Reynolds 3B
Ichiro RF
Ryan SS
Stewart C
Pettitte P

Austin Romine was a scratch from the Yankees' lineup. He said there was a miscommunication between him and the training, and he still needs a couple more days to get over his concussion.

Pitching Preview:

As mentioned, the Yankees only have 12 game left this season, and Andy Pettitte is likely to take the mound two more times for the Yankees, including tonight, and they could possibly be the final starts of his baseball career.

Pettitte started off the season great, but fell into s summer slump the lasted up until the past could week -- right about the time that Hiroki Kuroda and Ivan Nova began to turn south on the mound.

Ever since getting shelled for seven runs against the Chicago White Sox in August 5th, Pettitte has been 3-0 with a 2.13 ERA over the past seven starts, with a quality outing ins his last six outings. His last start was on Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles when he gave up three runs on nine hits in 6.1 innings.

Pettitte has already faced the Blue Jays three times this season, with Tuesday's start being the fourth, and he won all three starts while posting an ERA of 1.77 while limiting the Blue Jays to four runs on 14 hits over 20 1/3 innings.

"It's just battle; figure out a way," Pettitte said after his last start. "We've been doing it all year. We're going to continue to do it. We're going to continue to push through this and no matter how you lose a game here or there, it's not over until we're eliminated, as far as I'm concerned."

 On the mound for Toronto Tuesday night is the reigning NL Cy Young award winner, R.A. Dickey, who started the season looking nothing with his 2012 form, but has since come around, going 4-1 with a 3.56 ERA after compiling a 4.66 ERA over the season's first four months.

Dickey has lost two of this three starts against the Bombers this season, giving up nine runs (eight earned) in 21 1/3 innings, giving him a 3.38 ERA against the Yankees.

"It means something, but it's only a silver lining to a year that for the most part has been a struggle," Dickey said after his last start on Wednesday. "But there is some optimism in that."

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