Mussina Wins 20th

It took Mike Mussina 18 seasons, but he can finally say he's a 20-game winner. The 39-year old became the oldest pitcher to earn 20 wins for the first time in his career when the Yankees downed the Red Sox 6-2. Mussina tossed six scoreless innings to extend his season-ending streak to 11.1 innings, leaving after 73 pitches were thrown.

An Xavier Nady 3-run home run off of Daisuke Matsuzaka in the fourth inning snapped a 0-0 tie. The win didn't come easily, however, as the Red Sox rallied in the eighth inning. Joba Chamberlain issued a lead-off walk to Jason Bay, and Mark Kotsay followed with a ground rule double to right. With the tieing run at the plate, Joe Girardi sent for Brian Bruney.

The right-hander, who missed much of the season with a torn Lisfranc ligament, struck out Jed Lowrie looking and retired Chris Carter on an RBI ground out. With Jacoby Ellsbury due up, Girardi went to left-hander Damaso Marte, but it was for naught, as Ellsbury singled to left field to cut the lead to 3-2.

Mariano Rivera went to New York earlier this week and has been contemplating surgery for his sore right shoulder, but he came back for the final series knowing that Mussina had a chance for 20 wins. With base stealing threat Ellsbury on base, Rivera blew three fastballs past Dustin Pedroia to retire the side.

The Yankees added three insurance runs in the ninth off of Jon Papelbon to increase the lead to 6-2, and then it was up to Rivera. David Ortiz reached on an error by Cody Ransom at short, but Rivera retired Kevin Youkilis, Jon Van Every, and Bay, on a ground-out to Ransom, for his 39th save in 40 tries. A jubilant Mussina sat on the bench and was greeted by the Yankees coaches, before joining his teammates on the field. Rivera gave him the game ball for career win number 270.

September 28, 2008

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
NY Yankees	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	3		6	10	1
Boston	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0		2	5	0

NY Yankees	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Gardner, CF	5	1	1	0	0	1	1	.228
Damon, LF	4	0	0	0	1	0	0	.303
Abreu, RF	2	1	0	0	2	1	0	.296
Cabrera, RF	1	0	0	1	0	0	2	.244
Rodriguez, A, 3B	4	1	2	1	1	1	0	.302
Giambi, 1B	4	0	0	0	0	3	4	.247
Miranda, 1B	1	0	0	0	0	1	2	.375
Nady, DH	4	1	2	3	0	1	0	.307
Cano, 2B	4	1	3	0	0	0	1	.270
Ransom, SS	3	1	2	0	1	1	1	.325
Molina, C	3	0	0	1	0	1	5	.216
Totals	35	6	10	6	5	10	16
BATTING 2B: Cano (35, Matsuzaka). HR: Nady (25, 4th inning off Matsuzaka, 2 on, 2 out). TB: Gardner; Rodriguez, A 2; Nady 5; Cano 4; Ransom 2. RBI: Nady 3 (96), Molina (18), Cabrera (37), Rodriguez, A (103). 2-out RBI: Nady 3; Rodriguez, A. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Gardner; Molina; Giambi; Miranda. SF: Molina. GIDP: Molina. Team LOB: 8. BASERUNNING SB: Abreu (22, 2nd base off Matsuzaka/Varitek), Cano (2, 3rd base off Matsuzaka/Varitek). FIELDING E: Ransom (3, fielding). Outfield assists: Damon (Pedroia at 2nd base). DP: 2 (Cano-Ransom-Giambi 2).

NY Yankees	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Mussina (W, 20-9)	6.0	3	0	0	2	3	0	3.37
Coke (H, 5)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0.61
Chamberlain	0.0	1	2	2	1	0	0	2.60
Bruney (H, 12)	0.2	0	0	0	0	1	0	1.83
Marte	0.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	4.02
Rivera (S, 39)	1.1	0	0	0	0	1	0	1.40

Boston	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Ellsbury, CF	4	0	1	1	0	0	1	.280
Pedroia, 2B	4	0	2	0	0	1	2	.326
Ortiz, DH	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	.264
2-Bailey, PR-DH	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.283
Youkilis, 3B	4	0	0	0	0	1	3	.312
Drew, RF	2	0	0	0	1	1	2	.280
Van Every, J, RF	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.231
Bay, LF	3	1	0	0	1	2	2	.286
Kotsay, 1B	3	1	1	0	0	0	1	.276
Lowrie, SS	3	0	0	0	0	2	2	.256
Varitek, C	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	.220
1-Kottaras, G, PR	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.200
Ross, C	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.230
a-Carter, PH	1	0	0	1	0	0	1	.429
Cash, C	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.232
Totals	30	2	5	2	3	7	15
a-Grounded out for Ross in the 8th. 1-Ran for Varitek in the 6th. 2-Ran for Ortiz in the 9th.
BATTING 2B: Kotsay (25, Chamberlain). TB: Ellsbury; Pedroia 2; Ortiz; Kotsay 2. RBI: Carter (2), Ellsbury (47). 2-out RBI: Ellsbury. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Bay. GIDP: Drew; Pedroia. Team LOB: 4. FIELDING DP: (Youkilis-Pedroia-Kotsay).

Boston IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Matsuzaka (L, 18-3) 4.0 4 3 3 2 5 1 2.90 Lopez 1.0 1 0 0 1 2 0 2.43 Delcarmen 2.0 1 0 0 1 0 0 3.27 Okajima 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2.61 Papelbon 1.0 4 3 3 1 1 0 2.34

Chamberlain pitched to 2 batters in the 8th. Marte pitched to 1 batter in the 8th. WP: Lopez. Pitches-strikes: Mussina 73-48, Coke 13-9, Chamberlain 10-4, Bruney 10-7, Marte 6-5, Rivera 23-16, Matsuzaka 73-46, Lopez 29-17, Delcarmen 23-16, Okajima 11-8, Papelbon 33-18. Groundouts-flyouts: Mussina 9-5, Coke 1-0, Chamberlain 0-0, Bruney 1-0, Marte 0-0, Rivera 2-1, Matsuzaka 4-3, Lopez 1-0, Delcarmen 4-2, Okajima 0-1, Papelbon 1-1. Batters faced: Mussina 20, Coke 3, Chamberlain 2, Bruney 2, Marte 1, Rivera 5, Matsuzaka 18, Lopez 5, Delcarmen 7, Okajima 3, Papelbon 8. Inherited runners-scored: Bruney 2-1, Marte 1-1, Rivera 1-0. Umpires: HP: Phil Cuzzi. 1B: James Hoye. 2B: Jerry Layne. 3B: Randy Marsh. Weather: 67 degrees, drizzle. Wind: 3 mph, Out to LF. T: 3:16 (:00 delay). Att: 37,091.