(Sports Network) - The surprising Tampa Bay Rays carry the best record in baseball into the opener of their brief two-game series with the New York Yankees this evening at Yankee Stadium.

Tampa, though, had its seven-game winning streak stopped on Monday, as it found itself on the wrong end of a 7-4 decision in 10 innings to the Kansas City Royals at Tropicana Field.

The Rays had tied the game in the bottom of the ninth on Carlos Pena's solo home run, but Dan Wheeler (2-4) served up four runs (three earned) in the 10th to seal their fate.

Still and all, Tampa is 55-32, four games up on the Boston Red Sox in the American League East and 8 1/2 games in front of the Yankees.

A big reason for the Rays' success this year has been left-hander Scott Kazmir, who is 7-3 with a 2.62 ERA. Kazmir, though, has not been as sharp as he was earlier in the season. He received a no-decision in his last start on Wednesday against Boston, surrendering four runs and seven hits in five innings of his team's 7-6 win.

Kazmir, who has not made it out of the sixth inning in any of his last four starts, held the Yankees scoreless over six innings in beating them back on May 15 and is 3-3 lifetime against them with a 2.68 ERA in 10 games, nine of which have been starts.

New York will have a lefty of its own on the hill this evening in 36-year-old Andy Pettitte, who is 9-6 with a 4.22 ERA. Pettitte was roughed up by the Red Sox in his last trip to the hill on Thursday, as he gave up six runs (five earned) and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.

He had allowed just three runs in winning his previous four starts.

Pettitte has dominated the Rays over the course of his career, posting a 14-4 mark to go along with a 3.84 ERA in 24 games (23 starts). However, he is 1-2 against them this season.

The Yankees enter tonight's matchup on the heels of a thrilling win over the Red Sox on Sunday, as Brett Gardner's two-out single in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted New York to a 5-4 win.

Robinson Cano singled off Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon to open the 10th, then Melky Cabrera laid down a sacrifice bunt. After pinch-hitter Wilson Betemit went down on strikes, Gardner hit a slow roller up the middle that went off shortstop Alex Cora's glove, allowing Cano to score the winning run.

Gardner finished 2-for-5 and scored a run for New York, while Cano added a two-run triple for the Yankees, who split the four-game set against the Red Sox.

Alex Rodriguez clubbed his 18th home run of the season -- a solo blast -- and 536th of his stellar career, tying Yankees great Mickey Mantle for 13th place on the all-time list.

Joba Chamberlain, making his seventh major league start since joining the Yankees rotation on June 3 and first against the Red Sox, went six innings and allowed three runs on four hits in a no-decision. The young fireballer also struck out five and walked four.

Mariano Rivera (3-3) tossed two scoreless frames to earn the victory.

The Yankees have split their 10 meetings with the Rays this season after winning the season series by a combined 23-13 the last two years.