(My Sportsbook) - Fresh off a needed sweep of their biggest rival, the New York Yankees now turn their attention to a surging Tampa Bay Devil Rays squad as the two American League East clubs play the first of three consecutive meetings tonight in the Bronx.

New York closed within five games of Boston's lead atop the division after taking all three contests of a key series with the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. The Bronx Bombers finished the sweep with a 5-0 victory on Thursday, as Chien- Ming Wang teamed with a pair of relievers on a two-hitter.

Wang (16-6) yielded just one hit through the first seven frames to join Boston's tandem of Josh Beckett and Tim Wakefield and the Angels' John Lackey as the only 16-game winners in the majors this season.

He received offensive support from Robinson Cano, who belted a pair of solo home runs off Curt Schilling, and a 4-for-4 performance out of Derek Jeter. Bobby Abreu added an RBI double on the afternoon.

Tampa Bay is also coming off a three-game sweep of an AL East member, as the Rays dominated the reeling Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. In Thursday's finale, B.J. Upton belted a three-run homer in the third inning and the Devil Rays twice battle back from deficits to come through with an 8-6 win.

Josh Wilson homered and finished with three hits to help Tampa Bay to its sixth victory in seven games, while Akinori Iwamura added a solo home run in the triumph.

Scott Kazmir (11-8) tossed a shaky five innings for the D-Rays, but got the win despite allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks over five innings.

A pair of rookies will take the mound for their respective teams in tonight's opener, with Phil Hughes getting the call for New York opposite Andy Sonnanstine.

The highly-regarded Hughes looks to rebound from back-to-back mediocre performances. In his most recent start, the 21-year-old served up three homers and allowed five runs over six innings in Sunday's loss at Detroit. Six days earlier, Hughes issued five walks and gave up five runs in a 6 1/3-inning no decision at Anaheim.

The former first-round pick, who will be facing Tampa Bay for the first time, is 0-1 with a 7.71 earned run average in three Yankee Stadium starts this year.

Although Sonnanstine brings a 3-9 overall record into this evening's tilt, the right-hander has won two of his last three starts. He held Oakland to two runs and five hits while striking out seven over five innings to pick up his latest victory this past Sunday.

The 24-year-old took the loss in his only previous appearance against the Yankees. That came in the Bronx on July 14, when Sonnanstine allowed five runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings.

The Yankees are 20-10 against Tampa Bay since the start of the 2006 season, which includes a 7-5 mark this year. The Devil Rays are just 4-11 at Yankee Stadium over that span.