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Abreu, Mussina help Yankees douse first-place White Sox

Sep 19, 2008 - 4:08 AM By Larry Fleisher PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BRONX, New York (Ticker) -- Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Alex Rodriguez have already reached milestones and now Mike Mussina is one step closer to reaching one of his own.

In his final start at the current Yankee Stadium, Mussina pitched effectively into the seventh inning for his 18th victory as the New York Yankees rolled to a 9-2 rout of the Chicago White Sox in the finale of a four-game series Thursday night.

Chicago (84-68) is 1 1/2 games ahead of the Minnesota Twins (83-70), who defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, 11-8, after scoring five runs in the ninth inning to erase a two-run deficit.

"It's not going to be easy," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "We are in a pennant race right now and, if we keep playing like that, then we are not going to be in the playoffs."

Bobby Abreu turned in his most productive game of the season as he homered twice and tied a season high with six RBI. He connected twice off former Yankee Javier Vazquez and drove in runs in his first four at-bats.

Jeter and rookie Brett Gardner also drove in runs for the Yankees, who are 5-2 on their final homestand before moving across the street to a new park next season.

During this homestand, New York has seen Jeter break Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig's mark for hits at Yankee Stadium, Rivera pass Lee Smith for sole possession of second place on the all-time saves list and Rodriguez become the first player with 35 home runs and 100 RBI in 12 seasons.

"You like to see guys do well," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Usually when guys do well, you win games. That's the good thing about it. Guys set goals for themselves and you want to see them reach their goals, and I think it's something that pushes them."

Now they will have a chance to see Mussina go for his first career 20-win season during their final road trip.

"Definitely (we will) try to help the guy get to 20 wins; (it) is something that we like to do," Abreu said. "We like to give it to him. He deserves it. He's been doing good all year long."

Mussina will attempt to get win No. 19 Tuesday in Toronto and then could be going for 20 next weekend at Fenway Park.

"I got to win 19," Mussina said. "First one is on Tuesday. The last ones are always the toughest, just like any regular (game) the last three outs are the toughest are the toughest to get. The last couple of wins are the toughest, so I'll just go out there Tuesday and see what happens."

Mussina would know about the tough road to 20 victories. In 1996, he was three outs away from it but saw Armando Benitez blow the save in the ninth, and he wound up with a no-decision.

Mussina put himself in position for the milestone by allowing just Paul Konerko's RBI groundout in the first inning and five hits in six-plus innings. He threw 28 pitches in the first inning but he stranded two and then allowed just three more hits the rest of the night.

Mussina's night ended after he allowed a leadoff double to Brian Anderson in the seventh. Pitching coach Dave Eiland designed it that way so he could get a lengthy ovation from the crowd and when he was lifted, he showed his appreciation by tipping his cap.

"It's a lot of fun," he said. "I've played well, had a good year and people appreciate it. It was really nice."

By winning his last appearance at Yankee Stadium, Mussina also tied Hall of Famer Jim Palmer for 33rd place on the all-time wins list with 268.

While the White Sox never had any big hits off Mussina, the Yankees had plenty off Vazquez.

Pitching on three days' rest, Vazquez lasted a season-worst 3 2/3 innings and was rocked for a season-high seven runs and six hits. He is 0-4 on three days' rest, and this was his shortest start since August 14, 2005 in Atlanta.

Most of the damage was done by Abreu, who put the Yankees in front by driving a 1-2 pitch into the upper deck for a two-run home run. Abreu made it 3-1 by lining an 0-1 pitch into the right-center field bleachers and then the Yankees added four more in the fourth.

Jeter chased Vazquez by beating out an infield single with the bases-loaded. Abreu greeted Horacio Ramirez with single to right that scored Jose Molina and Gardner.

New York scored its final run of the fourth when Jeter scored on second baseman Alexei Ramirez's error and then added two more in the fifth.

Konerko homered off Chris Britton in the ninth for the White Sox.