Mussina Dominates Tigers 6-1

Ace Demands Complete Game

Mike Mussina has done everything the Yankees have asked of him this season. Last night, they returned the favor. Leading 6-1 with 2 out in the 9th, Mussina barked at Joe Torre to stay in the dugout. Torre had already made one trip to the mound and was ascending the dugout stairs to pull Mussina from the ball game. It appeared that Mussina was on his way to a complete game shutout, but Alex Rodriguez's errant throw on a Placido Polanco grounder kept the inning and game going. Magglio Ordonez singled in Polanco to break up the shutout and prompted Torre to make a pitching change. But Mussina spotted Torre before he could get out of the dugout and demanded, "No! Get back in there!". Torre threw his arms out and said, "Okay, okay", before breaking into laughter. Mussina responded by striking out Carlos Guillen to end the game and give the bullpen a much needed night off.

Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon, and Gary Sheffield were all missing from the lineup, but Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi had 3 hits each and combined for 3 RBI. Jeter sat out due to soreness in the right wrist he injured sliding into second base on Monday. Damon sat out with soreness in the broken bone in his foot and Sheffield was back in New York having tests done on his beat up left wrist.

The Yankees gave Mussina a lead to work with right off the bat with a two-out rally against Tigers starter Nate Robertson in the first inning. Consecutive singles by Giambi, A-Rod, and Jorge Posada pushed the first run of the game across home plate.

Both pitchers locked into a good duel before the Yankees added another run in the 5th. With the bases loaded and two out, Rodriguez singled hard threw the left side to score Andy Phillips and the bags remained juiced. Robertson (5-3) escaped further trouble by getting Posada to fly out to center for the final out of the inning.

Giambi led off the eighth with a ground rule double into the left field corner and scored on Rodriguez's third hit of the ball game, a triple over the head of Curtis Granderson . It seems like ever since Giambi hit into a game ending double play last Friday night he has made more of a concerted effort to hit the ball to the opposite field. A-Rod beat Chris Shelton's throw home on Robinson Cano's soft tapper to boost the lead to 4-0.

The Yankees managed another two-out rally in the 9th when Melky Cabrera singled, stole second, and came home on Miguel Cairo's single. Cairo's single finally drove Robertson from the game and set up a lefty-lefty match up between Jamie Walker and Giambi. Giambi won out, driving a double to the gap in right-center that scored Cairo with the Yankees final run.

All that was left was for Mussina to close it out and he was going to make damn sure it was he who did just that. Manager be damned.

Notes

Derek Jeter is expected to be back in the lineup for tonight's series finale.

The results of Gary Sheffield's MRI and additional testing should be known today. Another trip to the DL is the most likely scenario.

Joe Torre has not ruled out a stint on the DL for Johnny Damon either. Damon's foot will be an on-going nuisance since rest and anti-inflammatory medication is the only way for the broken bone to heal.

Prior to the game, the Yankees designated third string catcher Koyie Hill for assignment and bolstered the pen with the addition of Darrell Rasner. Rasner was picked up off waivers from the Washington Nationals during Spring Training. The 25-year old right-hander posted an impressive 4-0 record with a 2.56 ERA as a starter for the Triple-A Columbus Clippers.

Yankees Top 10 prospect Steve White continued his fine season for Double-A Trenton by pitching a 7-inning complete game shut out. White, who struggled last season, is 4-1, 2.11 in 11 starts.