Mussina pitches seven strong innings, earns 252nd win as Yankees beat White Sox 6-4

Jorge Posada had four hits, including a career-high three doubles, and drove in two runs. A sore right arm prevented him from starting at catcher for two weeks, but he was behind the plate for the second straight game.

While Rodriguez missed his second game because of a strained quadriceps and the birth of his second daughter, the Yankees matched a season high with their third straight win and Mussina earned his 252nd victory on his third try. That gave him sole possession of 42nd place on baseball's wins list and put the Yankees in position for a three-game sweep of the AL Central leaders.

They'll need Phil Hughes to get on track after four rough starts, which is what Mussina (2-3) did after losing two straight to Boston. The 39-year-old allowed two runs and four hits while striking out three and walking one in a season-high seven innings. Mussina's ERA dropped from 5.75 to 4.94.

After getting a go-ahead grand slam by Bobby Abreu in the seventh and a three-run shot by Johnny Damon in the eighth during Tuesday's 9-5 win, the Yankees went with the same lineup in consecutive games for the first time this season and knocked out Javier Vazquez (3-2) during a three-run sixth.

The White Sox scored two runs in the eighth off LaTroy Hawkins, who walked Nick Swisher and Orlando Cabrera. Billy Traber came in to face Jim Thome, who singled in a run and Paul Konerko followed with a sacrifice fly off Mariano Rivera that made it 6-4 before Jermaine Dye popped to short.

Rivera then pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save in as many chances.

Damon, who had two hits and scored twice, drove a two-run double to left-center with one out in the sixth and came around on a single to center by Derek Jeter that made it 6-1 and chased Vazquez.

That was plenty for Mussina, who lasted just three innings in his previous start against Boston.

Mussina had not pitched more than six innings in his first four starts, but he found his rhythm in the ballpark where he debuted for Baltimore back in August 1991 and improved to 17-16 lifetime against Chicago. Solo homers by Joe Crede in the fifth and Carlos Quentin in the seventh aside, the White Sox never threatened against him.

Vazquez's problems started when he walked Robinson Cano and Jason Giambi with two out in the second, leading to an RBI infield single with the bases loaded by Melky Cabrera. That drove in the first run, and Posada added a two-run double in the fifth that made it 3-0.

Vazquez gave up a season-high 10 hits over 5 1-3 innings after winning three straight starts. He struck out three and walked three, after issuing just two over his previous three outings

Rodriguez probably won't play until this weekend's series at Cleveland even though he's scheduled to rejoin the team in Chicago on Thursday.

The AL MVP, Rodriguez left Sunday's game against the Baltimore Orioles with a strained right quadriceps and had treatment in New York the following day. He then headed to Miami, where his wife gave birth to their second daughter Monday night.

Notes:@ Giambi was fine after leaving Tuesday's game because a hard groundball deflected off his right thumb in the eighth inning. ... Girardi had a pregame guest, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. "We talked baseball," Girardi said. ... White Sox SS Orlando Cabrera made his first error since Sept. 12, 2007, at Baltimore when he dropped Hideki Matsui's pop fly in left field leading off the second inning. Cabrera made 11 errors with the Los Angeles Angels last season while winning his second Gold Glove.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.