Mussina becomes oldest to earn 1st 20-win season

Mike Mussina wrapped up a postgame television interview on the field then returned to the New York Yankees clubhouse.

In
a season with little to celebrate, his teammates gave him a rousing
welcome - one he had waited his entire 18-year career to receive.
Mussina had just become the oldest pitcher to win 20 games in a season
for the first time as the Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 6-2 Sunday in
the opener of a rain-delayed day-night doubleheader.

"This
is one of those things that I think will take a while to sink in," said
Mussina, who has won at least 18 games five other times.

The
playoff-bound Red Sox won the second game 4-3 on Jonathan Van Every's
bases-loaded single with two outs in the 10th off Jose Veras (5-3).
Devern Hansack (1-0) pitched the 10th for the win as Boston prevented
the Yankees (89-73) from reaching 90 wins for the seventh straight
season. New York finished five games back of the wild-card Red Sox and
missed the postseason for the first time since 1993.

Less
than three months before his 40th birthday, Mussina (20-9) gave up
three hits in six shutout innings in his final start of the season. He
returned to the field to bring out the lineup card for the second game.

Last
year he had the highest ERA of his career (5.15). This season, it was
3.37 after he allowed one earned run in 16 innings over his last three
starts.