Mussina wins 17th as Yankees beat Rays

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Mike Mussina is doing all he can to help the New York Yankees cling to their slim playoff chances.

The 39-year-old right-hander earned his 17th win, giving up two runs and 10 hits in six-plus innings, and the Yankees got home runs from Alex Rodriguez and Xavier Nady in a 7-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night.

“We’re just trying to win ballgames any way we can. I’m trying to contribute on my day,” Mussina said.

Tampa Bay’s lead in the AL East was trimmed to four games over Boston, which beat Baltimore, 14-2.

Mussina (17-7) got his 267th win, passing Hall of Famers Bob Feller and Eppa Rixey for sole possession of 34th place on the career list. One thing that has eluded him, though, is a 20-win season.

“Obviously, you would like to see a guy that has been so good for so long be able to achieve that,” Yankees Manager Joe Girardi said. “It’s kind of neat that he’s chasing it.”