(Sports Network) - A.J. Burnett takes aim at his 17th win of the season this evening when the Toronto Blue Jays play the first of three games against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

Burnett, who had never won more than 12 games before this year, has been tremendous for the Jays this season, posting a 16-9 mark to go along with a 4.58 earned run average.

He has also won six straight and eight of his last nine decisions, including a pair of impressive victories over the Yankees in that span.

However, Burnett's lone no-decision over that time came on Sunday against the Boston Red Sox, who battered the righty for five runs and seven hits in seven innings of his team's 6-5 loss.

Burnett, though, is 6-2 lifetime against the Yankees with a 2.63 ERA in nine starts.

Toronto enters this series on the heels of dropping two of three to the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays, including a 3-2 setback in Thursday's finale. Adam Lind and Rod Barajas knocked in a run each for the Blue Jays, who have dropped three of four overall.

Jesse Litsch (9-8) took the loss for Toronto, yielding 10 hits and three runs over 6 2/3 innings, including a pair of home runs.

New York, meanwhile, gave its fleeting playoff hopes some life on Thursday with a dramatic 3-2 win over the Red Sox, salvaging the finale of the three- game set in the Bronx.

Jason Giambi's pinch-hit two-run home run tied the game in the seventh for the Yankees before he won it in the bottom of the ninth with a bases-loaded RBI single, sending the team to their fourth win in six tries.

More importantly, though, the Yankees moved within six games of the Red Sox in the AL wild card chase with 29 games to play. The bitter rivals also meet for three games at Fenway Park to conclude the season in September.

Mariano Rivera (5-5) picked up the win, as the Yankees pulled off their eighth walkoff win of the season.

Alex Rodriguez finished off a miserable series by going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. He was 2-for-13 in the series with an RBI and five strikeouts.

Getting the call tonight for the Yankees will be oft-injured right-hander Carl Pavano, who picked up his first win of the season on Saturday in Baltimore.

Pavano, in just his 19th start for the Yankees after signing a four-year deal worth close to $40 million prior to the start of the 2005 campaign, held the Orioles to three runs and seven hits over five innings to nail down his first win since April 9 of last season, which was also his last big league appearance.

Pavano has faced the Blue Jays five times in his career and is 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA.

These teams have split their 12 matchups this season.