--RHP Joba Chamberlain will make his first start Tuesday versus Toronto, manager Joe Girardi told reporters. Chamberlain will be allowed to throw 65 to 70 pitches, Girardi said as he finally assumes his spot in the rotation. LHP Andy Pettitte will remain on his regular rest to throw Monday and Chamberlain will take the injured Ian Kennedy's spot the next day at Yankee Stadium. "Just having those people behind us and the atmosphere that you're accustomed to, it's going to help," Chamberlain said. "It's going to be comforting."
--C Jorge Posada picked up two hits in an extended spring training game against a collection of Tampa Bay minor leaguers in Florida. Posada has batted .333 in four such games while rehabbing his injured right shoulder. The Yankees hope Posada will join the club next week. --RHP Edwar Ramirez extended his scoreless streak to 14 2/3 innings Friday night, and could start making the Yankees think of him as an eighth-inning replacement for Joba Chamberlain. RHP Kyle Farnsworth, who manager Joe Girardi said would handle the setup role, yielded a homer in the eighth to increase his ERA to 4.44.
--RHP Mike Mussina, who struggled early in the season and made folks wonder if he had anything left, now leads the American League in victories. Mussina won his eighth game Friday night, putting him into a three-way tie for the league lead. Mussina went six innings yielding six hits and two earned runs.
--RF Bobby Abreu led a charge of the middle-of-the-order Yankees who each had three hits. Abreu pulled off the rare feat of knocking two triples and was followed in the No. 3 hole by cleanup hitter Alex Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui, who added their own trifecta.
BY THE NUMBERS: 1 -- Run allowed by RHP Mariano Rivera in his first 19 appearances this season.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "The dirt clearly goes on his shoe. That was not my intent." -- Joe Girardi, after watching a replay of his Billy Martin imitation of an argument, in which he kicked dirt on the umpire.
