Yanks a long way from declaring slump over

Manager Joe Torre says the Yankees' first goal is to get back to .500. They stand at 11-15.

By JOANNE KORTH
Published May 3, 2005

ST. PETERSBURG - Mike Mussina found the strike zone. Hideki Matsui had a hit. No one made an error.

If Yankees manager Joe Torre were looking for small signs that his slumping ballclub is about to live up to the lofty expectations of its lofty payroll, they were there in Monday's 6-2 victory against the Devil Rays. But Torre is looking for more.

More than one hit.

More than one victory.

More than one anything.

The Yankees, still four games below .500 and fourth in the AL East, have a long way to go to convince Torre they are ready to string victories together. But they have to start somewhere. In handing the last-place Devil Rays their eighth straight loss, the Yankees combined solid hitting and potent pitching to win for the second time in three games.

"I think it's going to take more than one or two games to really get us past it," said Torre, whose team had lost four of five coming to Tropicana Field. "Right now, .500 is our goal. That's the first plateau."

With every game crucial, Torre made the difficult decision to remove centerfielder Bernie Williams from tonight's defensive lineup. Williams has been hampered the past week by an elbow injury that makes throwing painful. Matsui will move from left to center and second baseman Tony Womack to left, and rookie Robinson Cano will be called up from Triple-A Columbus to join the lineup at second.

Williams will be available to hit.

"That should give him time to get healthier," Torre said.

Mussina, who went in with a 4.97 ERA in five starts, limited the Rays to five hits in seven innings to pick up his second victory. He retired the first 11 batters he faced before Carl Crawford singled softly with two outs in the fourth.

"I thought my location was pretty good and that I had some life in my pitches," said Mussina, who gave up a two-run home run to Alex Sanchez on a changeup that got too much of the plate. "There was some finish on my fastball and I had better control of the strike zone than in other games, and that allowed me to go after people."

Matsui, who had three hits in his previous 29 at-bats, singled to right in the fifth off hard-throwing Scott Kazmir, though Torre was most impressed with a tough at-bat in the fourth in which Matsui fell behind in the count but worked Kazmir for a walk.

"That means he's seeing the ball well," Torre said. "Matsui is close."

Maybe the Yankees are, too.

"We seem to be looking for positives every day and we just haven't gotten on that run," said catcher John Flaherty, a former Devil Ray, who had two hits. "We haven't gotten to the point where we're playing relaxed baseball. But with this group of veteran guys, it's going to come."

[Last modified May 3, 2005, 01:19:05]