A's Yankees Preview

The New York Yankees' road trip was hardly inspiring, but the last game may have provided at least a little momentum.
The slumping Yankees (36-39) open a three-game set with Oakland Athletics on Friday, hoping to rebound during a nine-game homestand leading into the All-Star break.
New York returns home after being swept by the Colorado Rockies, losing two of three at San Francisco and dropping the first two games of a series with the Baltimore Orioles. Thursday's finale was suspended in the eighth inning following a 1 hour, 25 minute rain delay with the Yankees leading 8-6.
The Yankees rallied from a four-run deficit. Melky Cabrera and Robinson Cano each drove in a run in the eighth, and Derek Jeter lined a two-run single up the middle to take the lead. Play was halted seconds later.
''It was good to see us come back the way we did. It does a lot for us to leave here on a note like that,'' New York manager Joe Torre said. ''The road trip has been horrible. It is good to come away knowing that the last thing we did was good.''
The game will resume at the point it stopped when the Yankees return to Camden Yards on July 27.
''Hopefully we can go home and build off this,'' Torre said. ''We didn't get a result yet.''
The Athletics (40-38) are dealing with similar struggles. They have lost nine of their last 12 games, including three of four to the Cleveland Indians concluding with a 4-3 defeat Thursday.
''I'm not happy going 1-3 here,'' Oakland manager Bob Geren said. ''We just didn't get it done.''
Oakland relievers were charged with two of the losses in the series, and gave up 13 earned runs over 9 2-3 innings.
''It's no secret our bullpen has been wearing it,'' said Ron Flores, who took the loss Thursday after he yielded a three-run homer to Jason Michaels in the seventh inning to squander a two-run lead. ''Hopefully, it's just a rough patch.''
Athletics starter Joe Kennedy (2-5, 3.98 ERA) is also struggling, going winless in his last three outings. The left-hander allowed five runs and eight hits in a season-low four innings of Sunday's 10-2 loss to the New York Mets.
Kennedy is 3-5 with a 5.82 ERA in nine starts and five relief appearances against the Yankees. Jeter is 10-for-21 (.476) with three homers against him.
Mike Mussina (3-5, 4.98) will take the mound for New York. The veteran right-hander is 1-4 with a 5.06 ERA in his last eight starts. He's dropped his last two outings, including Sunday's start against the San Francisco Giants, when he allowed three runs - two earned - in five innings of a 7-2 loss while throwing a season-high 105 pitches.