(Sports Network) - Although the Tampa Bay Devil Rays have been well out of the playoff picture for quite some time, they appear to be comfortable in playing the role of spoiler. Today the improving young club aims for a season-best fifth consecutive victory when it takes on the New York Yankees in the second test of a three-game set from the Big Apple.

The momentum the Yankees gained from a key three-game sweep of rival Boston earlier in the week was quickly lost in Friday's series opener, as the Devil Rays battered three New York pitchers en route to a 9-1 win.

Carlos Pena belted a pair of solo home runs to back eight outstanding innings from Andy Sonnanstine as Tampa Bay won its fourth straight road game, the franchise's longest streak away from home since a seven-game run from June 15-22, 2004.

Sonnanstine (4-9) easily had the best outing of his young career, giving up just a pair of singles and one unearned run with five strikeouts and no walks. After Alex Rodriguez's RBI single in the fourth, the 24-year-old right-hander retired the final 14 batters he faced.

Carl Crawford, Delmon Young and Greg Norton each knocked in a pair of runs for the surging Devil Rays, who won for the seventh time in their last eight contests.

Yankees rookie Phil Hughes (2-3) was tagged for seven hits and five runs -- four earned -- in just 4 1/3 innings of work.

Despite the loss, New York remained one game ahead of Seattle for the top spot in the American League wild card race and five behind Boston for first place in the AL East. Both the Mariners and Red Sox lost on Friday as well.

This afternoon's matchup marks the major league debut of well-regarded Yankees' pitcher Ian Kennedy, who takes the rotation spot of Mike Mussina after the veteran was shelled for a third consecutive start on Monday.

Kennedy, New York's first-round selection in the 2006 draft, has amassed a gaudy 12-3 record and a 1.91 earned run average over 25 starts between Single- A Tampa, Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre this season. In six starts at the highest minor-league level, the 22-year-old went 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA and struck out 34 batters in 34 2/3 innings.

He will be the seventh rookie to start a game this season for the Yankees, who also have a pair of first-year big leaguers currently playing key bullpen roles in Joba Chamberlain and Edwar Ramirez.

The Devil Rays will send out improving youngster Edwin Jackson, who's rebounded from a miserable first half with a string of good outings in August.

Jackson went 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in five starts this past month, including a four-hit shutout at Texas on August 11 for his first career complete game. The right-hander had gone 1-9 with a 7.23 in 17 games (16 starts) prior to the All-Star break.

In his most recent appearance, the 23-year-old got a no decision Monday in Chicago after allowing four runs and nine hits -- including three home runs -- over six innings.

Jackson owns a 1-0 record with a 3.63 ERA in six previous games, two of which have been starts, against New York. That lone victory came at Yankee Stadium on July 20, when he delivered six shutout innings of four-hit ball.

The Yankees are 20-11 against Tampa Bay since the start of the 2006 season, which includes a 7-6 mark this year. The Devil Rays are just 5-11 at Yankee Stadium over that span.