"Perhaps it was meant to be, considering how much lefties have always wilted against Derek Jeter.

Nevermind that the Rays' David Price is one of the best young pitchers in baseball. When he faced Jeter last month, with the Yankees captain needing one more hit for the 3,000th of his career, Price was doomed. He was born a lefty. And no matter what seems to change with Jeter, his ability to punish lefties has gone unspoiled.

This has been the driving force behind Jeter's steady climb since his return from the disabled list, though it's a reason to which he has given little consideration.

"I don't think about it," Jeter said. "Maybe that's the reason."

Earlier this week, Jeter floated his own theory for why he has upped his average from .260 to .290 since coming back from a calf strain on July 4. Jeter said he used his three-week absence to work on his swing with a trusted friend, Yankees scout and former minor-league manager Gary Denbo.

In that time, Jeter broke a bad habit. He retrained himself to "stay back." Instead of lunging forward, Jeter kept his head still, waiting for the baseball to travel toward him before swinging. The adjustment has bought him more precious time.

"You don't have a lot of time to hit anyway," he said. "So extra time you can get is going to help.""