=== New York Yankees Team Report - June 24 ===

(My Sportsbook) - The New York Yankees look to get back on the winning track this evening when they continue their four-game series with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Tropicana Field.

The Yankees had their four-game winning streak stopped on Monday, as they fell 4-2 to Tampa in the series-opener. Roger Clemens (7-5), who almost tossed a no-hitter against the D-Rays last week, is still searching for career victory 301 after surrendering four runs and five hits in seven frames during this contest. He struck out six and walked only two, but was hurt severely by the two home runs by Damian Rolls.

Alfonso Soriano homered for the Yankees, who lost for just the second time in 10 tries. New York is now just one game ahead of Toronto and two ahead of Boston for the AL East division lead. The Blue Jays and Red Sox both won on Monday.

Heading to the mound on Tuesday for New York will be struggling righthander Jeff Weaver, who is 3-6 on the year with a 5.77 ERA and has not won since beating Anaheim back on May 15. The Yankees have also lost each of his last five starts.

The 26-year-old hurler is 0-4 with a 7.50 ERA over his last seven outings -- including five starts -- and was hammered by the Devil Rays in his most recent appearance. A week ago today, the Northridge, CA native surrendered six runs on 10 hits over five innings in his team's 11-2 setback.

Weaver, who will likely be relegated to bullpen duty once Jose Contreras returns, has faced the Devil Rays three times his season and is 0-1 with a 6.27 ERA. In his 18 2/3 innings this year against Tampa, Weaver has yielded 13 runs on 27 hits, while striking out 12 to just two walks.

On the injury front, Yankees designated hitter/outfielder Ruben Sierra was forced to leave Monday's contest with a strained right hamstring and is questionable for tonight's affair.

Soriano, who reached the 20-homer, 20-steal mark in 74 games, nine faster than the team record he set last season, is 6-for-his-last-15 and has gotten his average back up to .290.

Jason Giambi has reached base safely in 29 consecutive games.

These teams have already met nine times this season, with the Yankees claiming five of the encounters. New York is 31-15 against Tampa since the start of the 2001 season. However, the AL East foes have split their last 30 games in St. Petersburg.

The Yankees are 24-13 on the road this season.