Pineda goes for Yankees in rubber match vs. A's

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees are winning games, they're just not scoring in bunches recently.

Despite scoring 17 runs in their last six games the Yankees have four wins and can notch another series win Sunday afternoon when they conclude a three-game set with the Oakland Athletics.

New York is in position to win the series despite scoring four runs on seven hits and striking out 23 times.

The Yankees evened the series with Saturday's 3-2 win. Matt Holliday's two-run homer and Starlin Castro's single with two outs in the sixth were New York's lone hits.

"It's hard to say," Holliday said about the recent offense. "You give credit to the other side. Some guys that we've never faced before."

New York's starting pitchers have posted a 1.56 ERA in the last five games. Michael Pineda (5-2, 3.35 ERA) gets the start Sunday and can match his win total from last season.

Pineda was an underwhelming 6-12 last season despite striking out 207 in 175 2/3 innings.

This year the strikeouts are occurring along with the outs. He is up to 61 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings after getting six Monday against the Kansas City Royals.

Pineda allowed two runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings Monday and continued pitching well after a rocky season debut. In his last eight starts, Pineda is 5-1 with a 2.88 ERA and has fanned at least six in eight of nine starts this season.

Among the differences for Pineda is the ability to pitch decently with two outs. He is allowing a .262 average (17-for-65) with two outs; last year, teams batted .325 against him with two outs.

"I think it's the ability to get big outs when he needs to get him," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "A lot of times, that's what it comes down to for pitchers, the difference between a win and a loss, getting a big out when you need to get it and he's been better at that this year."

Pineda is 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA in five career starts against Oakland.

Oakland has dropped nine of its last 12 road games after striking out 14 times Saturday.

Jed Lowrie struck out three times and was ejected by plate umpire Will Little in the eighth inning. Manager Bob Melvin also was tossed after Trevor Plouffe struck out.

"A lot of frustration in big situations," Melvin said.

Right-hander Andrew Triggs will look to rebound from the worst of his nine starts when he faces the Yankees. Triggs allowed six runs (five earned) and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings during last Sunday's 12-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox.

Triggs (5-3) saw his ERA rise from 2.12 to 2.77 as he allowed four of his runs after getting a 3-2 lead on a home run by Chad Pinder.

"For the most part, I felt like I made some decent pitches, but I didn't do enough to really slam the door shut that inning and they made me pay for it," Triggs said.

Triggs pitched better last month. In April, he was 4-1 with a 1.84 ERA and a .194 opponents' batting average and this month he is 1-2 with a 3.97 ERA and a .267 opponents' average.

Despite the differences from April, Triggs still is among the leaders in several categories and one of the best in not allowing home runs. Triggs has allowed just three home runs in 52 innings, a number that increased slightly when Mitch Moreland homered off him Sunday and when Seattle's Nelson Cruz homered off him May 16.

Triggs will be making his first career start against the Yankees. In a relief appearance on May 20, 2016, in Oakland, he allowed two runs and five hits in three innings during an 8-3 loss.

The two runs Triggs allowed were on a two-run triple by Jacoby Ellsbury, who is on the 7-day concussion disabled list.