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Mussina, Yankees hope to end four-game skid

Aug 12, 2008 - 12:55 PM NY Yankees (63-56) at Minnesota (66-52), 8:10 pm EDT

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- The New York Yankees hope experience can thwart young talent - a theory that has become a staple this season when Mike Mussina toes the rubber.

The 39-year-old righthander takes the mound for the Yankees on Tuesday as they try to halt a four-game losing skid in the middle contest of a three-game set against the Minnesota Twins.

Mussina (15-7, 3.27 ERA) has won five of his last six decisions and has been a revelation for a club decimated by a decrepit starting rotation once believed to be one of the strongest in the American League.

Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy, Phil Hughes and Chien-Ming Wang have all spent time on the disabled list this season, and Andy Pettitte has been inconsistent - a major reason for New York's precarious position in the playoff hunt.

Mussina has surrendered two or less runs in seven of his past 10 starts and has one loss since June 20.

Minnesota will counter with Nick Blackburn (9-6, 3.60), one of its five starters under the age of 27, with a chance to increase its fragile half-game lead over the Chicago White Sox (65-52) for first place in the American League Central Division.

The 26-year-old lefthander has won two straight starts and has held opponents to three runs or less in nine of 10.

Glen Perkins threw eight sterling innings as the Twins rolled to a 4-0 shutout on Monday in the opener. Adam Everett belted a two-run homer in the second and Joe Mauer lifted a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

In just his second loss since May 26, Sidney Ponson - one of the few unexpected bright spots for the Yankees' pitching staff lately - allowed four runs and seven hits in 7 2/3 innings. The righthander has received five runs of support over his last three outings in which he is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA.