Yankees and Rangers square off in battle of AL's best

TORONTO -- The four-game series against the Rangers that starts Monday night at the Stadium matches the teams with the AL's best records.

"They're a very good club," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We're playing in really important games to try and get more distance in our division, and you're playing for home-field advantage."

Derek Jeter said it is "still too early" to be looking at the standings, but he acknowledged the series is important.

"I think they're all big now," he said. "We know how good Texas is. It's going to be a challenge for us."