LOS ANGELES // Derek Jeter is back in the line-up and Alfonso Soriano has rejoined the team. The New York Yankees just are not winning games, though.
They opened an eight-game road trip with a 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night, the Yankees' third loss in four games.
New York fell to 4-7 since the All-Star break as Jeter went hitless in four at-bats in his second game back since coming off the disabled list. The Yankees slipped eight games behind AL East-leading Tampa Bay amid reports that rehabbing Alex Rodriguez will soon be disciplined by MLB as a result of the Biogenesis case.
Andy Pettitte, the Yankees starter, is not ready to write off the season.
"I know this team's got a lot of experience, and hopefully we can just will this thing into the play-offs. I expect to go," he said. "I believe in this club and I believe that we've got the guys in this room to do it, so we're going to push each other and try to get it done. The only way to do that is to stay positive and not let anything negative get inside here and interfere with that."
Pettitte and Zack Greinke, the Dodgers starter, dueled through seven innings in front of a sold-out, star-studded crowd in the Yankees' third-ever series at Dodger Stadium and first since June 2010.
Shawn Kelley (3-1) gave up a two-out RBI single to Mark Ellis in the bottom of the ninth. Ellis lofted the ball over the head of a leaping Jeter at shortstop to score Andre Ethier, who singled and stole second.
Pettitte gave up two runs and eight hits in seven innings, struck out three and walked none in his longest outing since June 14 at Anaheim. He has lost his last three games and six of his last eight decisions.
"I'm just fighting myself at times, fighting mechanical things early. But I'm going to get there. I'm going to fix it and iron it out," he said. "My bullpens have been great and my pregame has been great. It's just a matter of carrying it over when I get out there on that mound. I just quite haven't been able to do that yet, and it's frustrating."
Kenley Jansen (4-3) pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts to earn the win.
Greinke allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings, struck out seven and walked none.
New York tied the game 2-all in the fourth on Lyle Overbay's RBI groundout to shortstop that scored Alfonso Soriano, who doubled to lead off and took third on Greinke's wild pitch.
The Dodgers went up 2-1 on Juan Uribe's homer in the second.
The Yankees tied the game 1-all on Overbay's home run leading off the top of the second.
The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead on Hanley Ramirez's RBI single in the first that scored Yasiel Puig, who doubled.
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