May 7 Yankees Preview..."Yanks' DeSalvo makes debut"

By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com

A day after Roger Clemens sent the Bronx into a frenzy with his return to the Yankees, Matt DeSalvo will make his first Major League start on Monday.

The right-hander impressed Yankees manager Joe Torre in Spring Training and has kept compiling numbers worth praise. He'll be the 10th starting pitcher used this season by the Yankees, who will set a Major League record for starters through 30 games.

"He's a very stubborn-type pitcher," Torre said of DeSalvo. "He's a sinker guy who'll throw either a sinker or changeup that acts funny, but he's down, down, down. He's a pretty good bulldog."

In five starts for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, DeSalvo owned a 3-0 record and a 1.05 ERA, striking out 23 and walking 13 in 25 2/3 innings.

The Mariners will counter with right-hander Miguel Batista, who has gone 3-2 with a 6.30 ERA this season.

Pitching matchup

SEA: RHP Miguel Batista (3-2, 6.30 ERA)Batista is coming off two quality starts in a row, which gave him a two-game winning streak for the first time this season. One improvement for Batista of late has been the use of his fastball. He'll probably bring plenty of heaters against the Yankees, because the strategy worked against a powerful White Sox lineup.

NYY: RHP Matt DeSalvo (Major League debut)DeSalvo is getting his first chance at the Major League level after compiling impressive numbers in five Triple-A starts this season. He had little success in his 2006 season, though, posting a 6-10 record between two Minor League stops, with an ERA over 6.00.

Player to watch

Ichiro Suzuki seems to perform well on the big stage. In 53 games against the Yankees, he owns a .318 average with 43 runs scored and 20 RBIs. He's also run a little on the bases against the Yankees, swiping 12 bases.