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Saturday's Yankees-Red Sox contest postponed

Sep 27, 2008 - 11:09 PM By Mike Petraglia PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BOSTON (Ticker) -- The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox made different uses of their time following their rainout on Saturday afternoon.

The Red Sox, headed to the American League playoffs as the wild card representative, left rain-drenched Fenway Park to get rest for the upcoming postseason, including two of their regulars who are nursing potential season-ending injuries.

The Yankees dressed up six rookies as the Village People and danced to the "YMCA" all the way to their Boston hotel.

Saturday's rainout was rescheduled as part of a day-night doubleheader on Sunday, with the first game slated for 1:35 p.m. EDT as Mike Mussina (19-9, 3.47 ERA) pitches against Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka (18-2, 2.80).

Mussina will be aiming for a career win, trying to win 20 games for the first time in his career.

"I told him, 'Moose, you've got to be ready to play two,'" Yankees manager Joe Girardi said tongue-in-cheek.

The makeup game is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. EDT as New York sends Sidney Ponson (4-4, 6.20) up against Boston's Tim Wakefield (10-11, 4.24).

While the Yankees are finishing out the string on their way to their first third-place finish since 1984, the Red Sox have two key injuries they are monitoring.

J.D. Drew (back) will start the first game in right field. He has played just once since injuring his lower back on August 17 and spending a stint on the disabled list. Third baseman Mike Lowell won't see any action until he takes the field for workout day on Tuesday in Anaheim, the day before the Red Sox open their Divisional Series against the Angels because of a hip injury.

"I don't think anyone can make predictions at this point and all that," Lowell said about his chances of return for the playoffs. "I'm still going to try. There's a window, we'll see how big it is."

For the Yankees, the only regular not playing Sunday is Jeter, who had a cast on his injured left hand after taking a pitch from Jim Miller there last Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles.