Pitching in his second game after coming off the disabled list with a left hamstring strain, Mike Mussina threw six innings of three-hit ball, leading the Yankees to a 6-2 win over the Rangers on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. The win brought the Yankees back to the .500 mark at 16-16. Mussina allowed two runs in the third inning, including a home run to Brad Wilkerson, but otherwise held the Rangers scoreless. Michael Young hit an RBI groundout to account for Texas' other run in Mussina's 85-pitch outing.
Derek Jeter led the Yankees offense with two hits and three RBIs, and Johnny Damon scored twice as the Yankees piled on Texas starter Robinson Tejeda for six runs in 3 2/3 innings.
The first four Yankees batters of the game reached base and scored, and backup catcher Wil Nieves got his first hit of the 2007 season in the sixth inning -- his first in the Major Leagues since 2002 with the Padres.
After Mussina threw the first six innings, the Yankees called upon Brian Bruney, Mike Myers and Scott Proctor to get through the seventh. Kyle Farnsworth pitched the eighth inning, and Mariano Rivera finished it off in the ninth as the Yankees defeated the Rangers for the fifth time in as many games this season and the eighth straight time dating back to last year.
