(My Sportsbook) - Roger Clemens takes his latest comeback tour to St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field, as the legendary hurler takes the mound for the New York Yankees in tonight's second matchup of a four-game series with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

After enduring a rocky start to his second tour of duty with the Yankees, the 44-year-old Clemens has delivered back-to-back terrific performances his last two times out. The future Hall of Famer picked up career win No. 350 when he limited Minnesota to a run and just two hits over eight innings on July 2, then put up similar stats against the Angels this past Saturday.

Clemens held the current AL West leaders to a run on five hits in eight innings of work, although he did not factor in the decision of a game the Angels wound up winning in 13 innings.

Both of those starts came within the comfortable surroundings of Yankee Stadium. On the road this season, Clemens is 0-2 with a 7.15 earned run average in three appearances, one of which came in relief at San Francisco's AT&T Park.

The seven-time Cy Young winner has enjoyed great success when facing the lowly Devil Rays over the course of his career, however. In 19 lifetime starts against Tampa Bay, Clemens owns a 10-4 record with a 3.11 ERA. He is 6-3 with a 3.88 ERA in 10 previous starts at Tropicana Field.

Clemens has not faced the Devil Rays since September 21, 2003, the final season of his first stint in pinstripes. He tossed seven shutout innings that day to lead New York to a 6-0 win at Tropicana Field.

The Yankees got their second half off to a good start with last night's 7-3 victory over the Devil Rays, highlighted by three solo home runs by New York batters during the fourth inning.

Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez hit back-to-back homers to give the Bronx Bombers a 3-1 lead in the top of the fourth, and Bobby Abreu connected for a solo shot of his own three batters later.

Rodriguez's blast was his major league-leading 31st of the season, while Abreu finished 3-for-4 with three RBI to help New York to its sixth win in eight games.

All three long balls came against Tampa starter James Shields (7-5), who surrendered six runs (five earned) and nine hits over six innings.

Andy Pettitte (5-6) worked the first 5 2/3 frames for the Yankees and allowed three runs on six hits to record the victory.

Thursday's loss was the Devil Rays' 14th in their last 15 contests. The downtrodden club will turn to talented lefty Scott Kazmir tonight in hopes of turning around their recent misfortune.

Kazmir has had struggles of his own to deal with lately. The hard-throwing southpaw has lost his last three starts and has issued 58 walks on the season, the second-most free passes among AL pitchers.

The 23-year-old had control issues again last Sunday in Kansas City, where he walked three Royals in five innings and gave up five runs (four earned) in a 12-4 Tampa Bay setback.

Kazmir is just 1-3 with a 3.69 ERA in seven lifetime games (six starts) against New York. He had a pair of no decisions versus the Yankees back in April, having allowed eight runs -- six earned -- over a combined 11 2/3 innings.

The Devil Rays have taken three of their five 2007 meetings with New York and swept the Yankees in a two-game set at Tropicana Field in late April. The Bronx Bombers won six of nine matchups between the teams in St. Petersburg last season.