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Hughes fans season-best nine to earn the win

A 4-3 loss to the Braves on Tuesday night snapped the Yankees' 10-game winning streak, the longest this year in the Major Leagues. The loss sets up a rubber match between the two teams Wednesday afternoon in the Bronx.

The Yankees will turn to right-hander Phil Hughes to try to secure their sixth straight series victory. Hughes has been much improved this month after an up-and-down start to the season. He is 3-0 with a 1.69 ERA in his last three starts.

Before Tuesday's loss, manager Joe Girardi said it took a lot of luck to win 10 in a row.

"And it really has to go right almost every night with your starting pitcher, basically," Girardi said. "That's not always going to happen, because you can't expect them always to have their great stuff, but for the most part, even when they haven't had it, they've found ways to shut down other teams."

Right-hander Tommy Hanson will start for the Braves. He is coming off an outing in which he was frustrated with the strike zone and walked six batters in 5 1/3 innings. But Hanson kept the Braves in the game long enough for the offense to do its job and beat the Orioles, 4-2.

"My patience was definitely tested," Hanson said Friday. "I got to do a better job of making pitches. Those close ones, maybe next time will go my way."

Braves: Jones expected to DH Wednesday
• Manager Fredi Gonzalez said he expects to use third baseman Chipper Jones as the Braves' designated hitter Wednesday. It would be the first time Jones has been the DH this season.

In 27 career games as a DH, Jones is hitting .257 with seven home runs.

• First baseman Freddie Freeman returned to the lineup Tuesday after missing five straight starts because of a swollen left index finger.

Freeman went 0-for-3 with a run and a walk in the Braves' victory. He also made his first error of the season.

Yankees: Swisher returns to lineup, keeps hitting
• Right fielder Nick Swisher returned to the Yankees' lineup Tuesday after missing two games because of a bone bruise in his left thigh.

"I feel great, I feel good," Swisher said before the game Tuesday. "I feel a little bit of pain, but they told me this isn't an injury you can hurt worse unless you bang it on something again. Hopefully, that doesn't happen."

Swisher went 2-for-3 with a walk in Tuesday's loss. He is hitting .267 with 10 home runs this season.

• Alex Rodriguez enters Wednesday's game needing to drive in one run move into sixth place on the all-time RBI list. Rodriguez, who has driven in 31 runs this season, is tied with Jimmy Foxx with 1,924 RBIs.

The Yankees are a perfect 18-0 this season when Rodriguez drives in a run.

Worth noting
Before Tuesday, the Braves had last beaten the Yankees on June 23, 2009. Hanson started that game, throwing 5 1/3 shutout innings for the victory.

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