Yankees 6, White Sox 4

Vazquez struggles, White Sox fall to Yankees

By Mark Gonzales | Tribune reporter

12:50 AM CDT, April 24, 2008

The White Sox have taken satisfaction in rebounding from tough losses and staying out of extended losing streaks to stay in first place in the American League Central.

That goal takes on a greater meaning now that they have lost two straight games for the third time this year.

Mike "Moose" Mussina limited their offense to four hits in seven innings Wednesday night and Jorge Posada had four hits to pace a 12-hit attack as Javier Vazquez's troubles against the New York Yankees continued in a 6-4 loss.

To compound matters, All-Star third baseman Alex Rodriguez could return Thursday night from a quadriceps pull as the Yankees try to complete a three-game sweep.

"We have to play with gray uniforms and see what happens," manager Ozzie Guillen deadpanned after the Sox (11-9) fell to 4-5 at home while losing their fifth straight game to the Yankees at U.S. Cellular Field.

Outside of home runs by Joe Crede and Carlos Quentin, the Sox didn't muster a semblance of a major rally until the eighth, after the 39-year-old Mussina was pulled.

Mussina (2-3) earned his 252nd victory to move ahead of Hall of Famer Bob Gibson for 42nd place on the all-time list.

Mussina had been tagged for nine runs in his previous 82/3 innings covering his last two starts, but he mixed in a slow curve to keep the Sox off-balance.

"He was changing speeds," said Nick Swisher, who unsuccessfully tried to bunt his way on against Mussina in the first inning and is in a 1-for-15 rut. "We saw nothing he hasn't done before. He was throwing 85 to 48 miles per hour."

The Sox had just two hits through the first four innings off Mussina. One of those was Jim Thome's check-swing single that rolled down an open left side of the infield after third baseman Morgan Ensberg and shortstop Derek Jeter had shifted to their right.

Thome reached base safely, then shook his head and laughed.

That was one of the few times the Sox could smile, as they didn't get a runner past first until solo homers by Crede, his sixth in the fourth, and Quentin, his fifth with two out in the seventh that cut the deficit to 6-2.

Television cameras caught manager Joe Girardi signaling for a left-handed reliever to replace Mussina, but Posada convinced Girardi to let Mussina finish the inning. He retired Crede on a line drive to right to end it.

Posada came through in the fifth when he ripped a two-out, two-run double to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead.

Vazquez (3-2) was knocked out after allowing a two-run double to Johnny Damon and an RBI single to Jeter.

Vazquez has a lifetime 6.14 ERA in five starts against the Yankees.

"I didn't have my rhythm," Vazquez said after his three-game winning streak was snapped. "They have a great lineup. They have a lot of left-handed hitters, and they work deep counts.

"You have to have your control with them, and I didn't have my control."

mgonzales@tribune.com

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