MLB

MOOSE ON SHORT LEASH

DETROIT – Their first preference is for Mike Mussina to bounce back from two morbid outings Monday night so the veteran right-hander remains in their rotation as they chase the Red Sox and Mariners.

However, Mussina is on a short rope against the Tigers. Wednesday in Anaheim, Joe Torre said he will have a talk with Mussina if the downward trend continues Monday night. That talk could lead to deleting Mussina from the rotation despite his experience in big games and being in the first season of a two-year deal worth $23 million.

Yesterday, GM Brian Cashman explained the organization isn’t shy about making changes if they can help.

“We have proven we will do anything if we feel it gives us a better chance,” said Cashman, who promoted 21-year-old Phil Hughes in April and brought fellow 21-year-old Joba Chamberlain to the big leagues this month, converted him to a reliever and pushed Kyle Farnsworth out of the eighth-inning spot. Cashman also restructured the bullpen by trading Scott Proctor, releasing Mike Myers and sending Brian Bruney to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Triple-A).

If Mussina, who insists he is healthy, bombs Monday night, according to Cashman there are three at candidates at SWB to take his spot – Ian Kennedy, Steven White and Kei Igawa.

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Tigers will be without DH Gary Sheffield for the entire four-game series due to a shoulder problem.

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Since Chamberlain worked one inning in Wednesday night’s 8-2 victory over the Angels, the 21-year-old flamethrower is available tonight under the Joba Rules, which state one day off for every inning pitched in the previous game.

As he has done in all of his six big league outings, Chamberlain created a buzz Wednesday night in the eighth inning when he pushed a slow radar gun to the 100 mph mark working to Vladimir Guerrero.

“I wanted to challenge him right there,” said Chamberlain, who came back with an 89 mph slider to fan the dangerous Guerrero. “He is a great hitter and I wanted to attack him.”

Chamberlain fanned three of the four Angels he faced and has whiffed 14 batters in eight innings and given up three hits and two walks.

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Torre will never catch Joe McCarthy for the all-time wins leader among Yankees managers, but moving past Casey Stengel on Wednesday night into second place meant a lot to Torre, who has 1,150 victories in pinstripes.

“This is the biggest one for me,” Torre said of the 8-2 win over the Angels. “The reason is that was my lifetime, growing up in the 1940s and 50s in New York. The five straight championships and he was the architect of that. I got to know him later on. I am very proud of this. When you wear this uniform and pass a legend like that, if that doesn’t get your attention, I don’t know what does.”

McCarthy leads with 1,460 wins.