The Yanks have Monday, May 6 off, then play 17 games in 16 days starting with a three-game set out in Colorado.  New York comes off of a tough series loss to Oakland where it dropped two of three.  Colorado, meantime, lost two of three at home to Tampa Bay.  Here is a series preview:

The Yankees have gotten two straight bad starts from Andy Pettitte and an up and down CC Sabathia, so who better to start the series in Denver than Hiroki Kuroda, the rotation stabilizer?  Kuroda is 4-1 with a 2.25 ERA and knows the National League West teams.  This is baseball, and you have no idea what will happen, but at least Kuroda provides the team with a jolt of pitching confidence.

Player to watch:  Preston Claiborne.  The Yankees reliever has been dynamite so far for New York in David Robertson's absence and Joba Chamberlain's disabled list stint (oblique injury).  Claiborne made his Major League debut on Sunday and retired all six Athletics batters he faced in a 5-4 loss.  Claiborne could be the band aid needed in the Yanks pen.

Pitching match-ups:  Tuesday:  Hiroki Kuroda (4-1, 2.25) vs. Jorge De La Rosa (2-3, 4.18).  Wednesday:  David Phelps (1-1, 5.56) vs. Juan Nicasio (3-0, 4.91 ERA).  Thursday:  CC Sabathia (4-3, 3.31 ERA) vs. Jeff Francis (1-2, 7.27 ERA).  The games are at 8:40, 8:40 and 3:10 EST.

By:  Mike Lindsley, "Mid-Day with Mike," 1-4, Yankees pre/post game host on 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio.  Follow him on Twitter @MikeLSports.  

 

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