9/3 - Yankees (86-52) @ Rays (86-51): Game 2

Mike Mussina: (14 - 5), 4.05 ERA vs. Derek Lowe: (10 - 12), 4.67 ERA

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays have lost game two of this three game series against the Yankees, giving back up the division lead. There was poor pitching on both sides in this game, but more so for Derek Lowe, who struggled in the fourth. The Rays scored first in the second with a two-run jack off the bat of Cliff Floyd, but the Yankees retaliated big time in the fourth, putting up a seven run frame off Derek Lowe, most of the runs scored before even one out was recorded. It started with an RBI double by Alex Rodriguez for their first run, then Jorge Posada followed with his own RBI double, followed again by Robinson Cano with an RBI single to take the lead, then Melky Cabrera belted a bases loaded three-run triple to really break away from the Rays. The inning was topped off with a Bobby Abreu RBI single, sending Derek Lowe to the showers before completing even four innings. The Rays then began their almost comeback in the fourth when Evan Longoria jacked a solo homer to left. Jason Giambi gave the Yankees that run back in the top of the fifth with his own solo homer, but in the bottomo f the fifth, Carlos Pena jacked a long awaited homer, a three-run shot to narrow the Yankees lead to only two, and sending Mike Mussina to the showers. The Rays then came within one in the sixth when Jason Bartlett belted a solo shot, but after a Robinson Cano solo homer in the eighth, the Rays couldn't make the ultimate comeback.

Final Score:
Yankees: 9
Rays: 7


Mike Mussina: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Carl Pavano (W, 8-6): 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Mariano Rivera (SV, 22): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Bobby Abreu: 2-5, 2B, RBI, R, K
Alex Rodriguez: 1-5, 2B, RBI, R, 3 K
Jorge Posada: 1-4, 2B, RBI, R, K
Jason Giambi: 2-4, HR (28), RBI, 2 R, K
Robinson Cano: 4-4, 2B, HR (23), 2 RBI, 2 R
Hideki Matsui: 1-4, R
Melky Cabrera: 1-4, 3B, 3 RBI, R


Derek Lowe (L, 10-13): 3.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Edwin Jackson: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Al Reyes: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

B.J. Upton: 2-4, R
Carlos Pena: 1-4, HR (48), 3 RBI, R
Evan Longoria: 1-4, HR (30), RBI, R
Carl Crawford: 2-4, 2B, R
Cliff Floyd: 1-4, HR (15), 2 RBI, R
Jason Bartlett: 2-4, HR (6), RBI, 2 R