Yankees 6 Rays 1; Offense, Mussina Step Up

Finally, the offense broke out with a good night, belting eleven hits and getting diffuse production, while Mussina had an outstanding start to catapult the Yankees to a big 6-1 win over the Rays to earn the series split.  Bobby Abreu needed only a double to hit for the cycle, going 3-3 with three runs and two RBIs to raise his average to .400, Matsui was 2-4 with two RBIs and is hitting .375, A-Rod drove in his fifth run with a sixth-inning single and is hitting .320, Cano drove in his first run, and Damon had two hits to threaten the Mendoza line.  However, the Yankees await word on a leg injury that Jeter sustained.  At first reported as a quad injury, ESPN's Buster Olney later termed it a groin strain, with an MRI to come.  Whatever the problem, hopefully it's not serious.

The Yankees got going right away in the first, when Abreu's homer to right plated Jeter and him for a 2-0 lead.  After surrendering a solo homer to Gomes in the third, Mussina allowed a one-out walk to Bartlett, who stole second on a bad throw from Molina.  Yet he ended up stranded at third.  The Yankees squandered a chance to gain the run back in the bottom of the third when Molina doubled, Damon and Ensberg failed to advance the runner, and Abreu singled sharply to Upton, who has a terrific arm, holding Molina at third.  A-Rod's force ended the threat.  Yet Mussina held it tight, putting together a 1-2-3 fourth and stranding DeFelice after his two-out double in the fifth.  The sixth inning was key for both Mussina and the offense.  Cano's two-out error allowed Pena to reach but Mussina, throwing eighteen pitches in the inning, got Upton to ground into a force to end it.  His line was something--6 IP, 2 hits, a run earned, a BB, three K's on 82 pitches/52 strikes.  His curve and change were excellent, and he was able to locate his fastball on the hands of batters.  Great start for Mussina.

The offense came alive in the bottom of the sixth.  Abreu tripled, A-Rod brought him home with a single, and Matsui worked the count to 3-1 to get his pitch, cranking it for a double scored him to make it 4-1 with no outs.  But though Cano's productive ground out moved Matsui to third, Betemit fanned yet again for the second out, the Rays issued Melky an IBB, and Molina grounded into a 6-4 force on the first pitch.  Still, the runs were huge insurance, effectively burying the Rays.  The Yankees added two more in the seventh. Ensberg singled,  Abreu walked, A-Rod struck out on a bad call, Matsui's single to right scored Ensberg on a good aggressive call by Meacham at third, and Cano's single scored Abreu, 6-1 Yankees.

The bullpen shut it down in the last three.  Bruney worked a perfect seventh, Nuke was very good in a perfect eighth with a K, and though he struggled to throw strikes, Hawkins didn't allow any runs and fanned Gomes with two on to end the game. In all, Yankee pitchers allowed three hits and two walks, a great group effort that also gave Joba and Mariano a day off, and hopefully restored some much-needed confidence in Nuke and Hawkins.  The offense was much improved.  Though they stranded three in scoring position, they had two two-out RBIs.  The closer those are in balance--or the more two-out RBIs a team can have vis-a-vis stranded RISP--the better off it will be.

Terrific group effort by the Yanks tonight in a big game.  The Yankees earned a split after dropping the first two games of the series, they're back above .500, they got another excellent start, the bullpen was very good again, and the offense warmed up.  More of the same on the upcoming road trip will obviously serve them well.  KC has started hot, Boston is Boston, and the Yankees face Tampa Bay again for two before returning for only two against Boston mid-week before heading to Baltimore, Chicago, and Cleveland.  Big stretch upcoming and, while the pitching has been very good, the team will need to score against these opponents, count on it.

Warm it up, guys.