Yanks hope Mussina can bounce back in finale with Tigers

Mike Mussina tries to bounce back from a dreadful performance in his last start when the New York Yankees conclude a four-game series with the Detroit Tigers this evening at Comerica Park.

Mussina was absolutely lit up by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Tuesday, serving up seven runs and seven hits in just 1 2/3 innings of work. Mussina's poor performance came on the heels of an equally atrocious outing against the Tigers on August 16 when he allowed seven runs (six earned) and nine hits in five innings.

   The 38-year-old right-hander, who is 8-9 with a 5.22 ERA, has not lost three straight starts since August 2004.

Mussina owns an impressive 17-6 mark against Detroit in his career with a 2.70 ERA in 30 starts.

The Tigers will counter with 24-year-old right-hander Justin Verlander, who is 13-5 with a 3.94 ERA. Verlander was hammered by the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday, as he allowed seven runs and 10 hits in four innings.

Verlander beat the Yankees two starts ago and is 1-0 with a 7.84 ERA in two starts.

In the third game of this set on Thursday, Curtis Granderson, Carlos Guillen and Marcus Thames all homered and the Detroit bullpen held New York in check for nearly eight full innings in a 5-4 win.

Granderson led off the game with an inside-the-park homer, and Guillen and Thames later added conventional two-run homers for the Tigers, who have won two of the first three in this set despite not recording a hit after Thames' third-inning blast.

Granderson scored twice and stole a base as Detroit remained 2 1/2 games back of Cleveland for the top spot in the AL Central.

Detroit starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens left the game because of right shoulder soreness after allowing a one-out solo homer to Jason Giambi in the second inning. Chad Durbin, Bobby Seay, Joel Zumaya and Todd Jones combined to work the final 7 2/3 innings.

Jurrjens was charged with one run on two hits in 1 1/3 innings. Durbin yielded three runs on five hits. Seay (2-0) pitched out of a two-out, one-on jam in the fifth and was credited with the win after tossing two hitless frames. Jones worked the ninth for his 33rd save of the season.

In addition to the homer by Giambi, Robinson Cano had a three-run shot and Bobby Abreu went 2-for-4 with a run scored for New York, which has dropped four of six during its seven-game road trip that ends tonight.

Giambi had two hits for the Yankees, who are 7 1/2 games behind Boston for the top spot in the AL East and two games behind Seattle in the wild card standings.

The Yankees should have shortstop Derek Jeter back in the lineup tonight. Jeter was given a day off yesterday to nurse a number of ailments.

New York won three of four against Detroit at home last weekend and is 14-6 versus the Tigers since the start of the 2005 season. The Yankees have also won six of their last 10 in the Motor City.