Yankees vs the Pirates of the Carribean (err.. Pittsburgh)

[BronxBomberz]

Able to avoid a sweep against the Reds on Sunday, the Yankees have another Interleague series against a team with a losing record. New York will visit the Pirates for a three-game set on Tuesday.

New York is in a stretch of 16 straight Interleague games, and it's 6-4 against the National League this season. After winning seven straight, the Yankees dropped the first two games of the series against the Reds and won the finale, 4-1, on Sunday.

Sunday's victory was "a big game, because it's a good feeling going into an off-day, preparing to go to Pittsburgh and coming off a homestand where we went 4-2," manager Joe Girardi said.

With an off-day on Monday, Girardi decided to keep the regular pitching rotation against the Pirates (Darrell Rasner on Tuesday, Joba Chamberlain on Wednesday and Mike Mussina on Thursday). Doing so pushes the hurlers' starts back one day, and according to Girardi, keeps them healthy with an extra day of rest.

Girardi said he's pretty much scheduled the rotation until the All-Star break, keeping the two tough American League East series against Boston and Tampa Bay in mind.

Set to face Pittsburgh on Tuesday for the first time in his career, Rasner said he'll approach the matchup the way he did the rest of his starts.

"It's the same process," Rasner said. "They're still good hitters. You have to prepare the same way you always prepare. I'm going to do what I always have."

The Pirates will play a Yankees club that's received fine pitching performances recently, and on Sunday, the Bombers followed a shutout loss on Saturday by collectively hitting 11-for-31. During this Interleague stretch, New York has seen a couple of aces, but Girardi said that doesn't make the Yankees' occasional offensive struggles at the plate easier to swallow.

"You don't like seeing your offense sputter, but you know that's going to happen from time to time," Girardi said. "You have to try to find a way to win some of those games when they're not putting up big numbers for you."

The Yankees haven't played in Pittsburgh since Oct. 13, 1960, a Game 7 loss in the World Series. The Bombers have never lost a regular-season game against the Pirates, the only team in the Major Leagues never to defeat New York in the regular season.

Pitching matchup
NYY: RHP Darrell Rasner (4-4, 3.64 ERA)
Rasner rebounded in a winning effort against the Padres on Wednesday, limiting San Diego to two runs on three hits over five innings. Rasner had four strikeouts -- all in the first two innings -- and walked a season-high five, after not issuing more than two free passes in any professional start this year. After cruising through the first two innings, the righty struggled in a lengthy third, though he limited the damage to two runs.

PIT: LHP Tom Gorzelanny (5-6, 6.59 ERA)
Gorzelanny was stung by the long ball his last time out, as three homers accounted for all four runs that he allowed in six innings. Despite the homers, Gorzelanny's latest outing could be looked at as a small step in the right direction. He kept his pitches down with notable consistency, and he bounced back to get outs a number of times after falling behind in the count. This will be Gorzelanny's second career start against the Yankees. At Yankee Stadium last season, he allowed four runs in 6 1/3 innings and didn't factor in the decision.

Tidbits
When the Reds' Ken Griffey Jr. hit a solo home run, the 601st of his career, in the eighth inning on Sunday, he received a standing ovation from the Yankee Stadium crowd. After the game, reliever Kyle Farnsworth, who gave up the homer, was asked about it, but he seemed perturbed. "I have no comment about that," he said. ... Robinson Cano's sacrifice fly on Sunday ended the Yankees' 15-inning scoreless streak, which began in the eighth on Friday. It was their longest scoreless streak since May 6-8. ... Bobby Abreu was batting 0-for-24 against righties before his first-inning single on Sunday. .. Sidney Ponson, whom the Yankees signed to a Minor League deal on Wednesday, started his first game for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. He gave up two runs (one earned) and three hits in four innings. Ponson's innings were limited, because he hadn't pitched in about two weeks, Girardi said.

Tickets
Buy tickets now to catch the game in person.

On the Internet
MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
• MY9

On radio
• WCBS 880, WNSW 1430 (Español)

Up next
• Wednesday: Yankees (Joba Chamberlain, 1-2, 2.36) at Pirates (Phil Dumatrait, 3-4, 4.66), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Thursday: Yankees (Mike Mussina, 10-5, 3.93) at Pirates (Zach Duke, 4-4, 3.91), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Friday: Yankees (Darrell Rasner, 4-4, 3.64) vs. Mets (TBD), 2:05 p.m. ET

The Official Site of The New York Yankees: News: Next up on Interleague sked is Pirates

[love_that_reefer]

Pirates are whooping that ass right now 12-3. Rasner looked like complete shit while Gorzelanny, who has looked like shit all year, now looks good.

[BronxBomberz]

I think i puked in my mouth a little. This is the DAMN PIRATES, LAST TIME THEY MADE THE PLAYOFFS, BARRY BONDS WAS ON THE TEAM, THE BULLS DYNASTY WAS STARTING, AND SONIC THE HEDGEHOG MADE THE SEGA GENESIS AWESOME!

[realmofotalk]

It serves you right for the unfunny thread title.

[BronxBomberz]

Never Intended It To Be Funny

At Least The Cardinals Are Winning

Who needs you

[browntown653]

It serves you right for the unfunny thread title.

I'm with him.

[bwitty24]

Bronx, you do know this is just one game and is not a big deal right?

[BronxBomberz]

Bronx, you do know this is just one game and is not a big deal right?

Boston and Tampa Bay won.

[nyjunc]

Is it october? Why is it that this lineup all of a sudden cannot hit?

[riverdunesrat]

The title of your thread alone deserves a shout out.....hey, LMAO.

[GiantsFanatic]

I think i puked in my mouth a little. This is the DAMN PIRATES, LAST TIME THEY MADE THE PLAYOFFS, BARRY BONDS WAS ON THE TEAM, THE BULLS DYNASTY WAS STARTING, AND SONIC THE HEDGEHOG MADE THE SEGA GENESIS AWESOME!

You act like if you have never seen the Pirates play before.

[BronxBomberz]

I've seen them play before, but with all the talent the Yankees have, they should have won. Like UNC vs Fresno State this year, UNC has all the talent and experience in the world, and get get beat by FSU 2 times in the College WS.

[BronxBomberz]

8-0 Yankees

[DirtyKash]

Damn, I saw this thread and was going to post how lame the thread title was, but looks like a lot of people beat me to it.

[BronxBomberz]

I can make it as lame as I want.