Last Night's Action: One Step Backward

Devil Rays 14, Yankees 4: Pitchers can go from cruising to losing in a matter of batters. Mike Mussina's propensity to allow home runs makes him especially prone to such reversals of fortunes. He looked good for two innings on Friday but couldn't finish the fifth. Four games at home against the Devil Rays might look like a well-wrapped Christmas present, but with Matt DeSalvo and Kei Igawa scheduled to start both ends of tomorrow's doubleheader, this set could turn into a lump of coal. If Johnny Damon could return from the dead, that would also help out the Yankees. He did get a hit in his final trip up, ending an 0-for-21 slump. Boston won Friday, pushing the Red Sox lead back to eight games in the American League East.

Mets 4, Dodgers 1: Despite beating the Dodgers for the second time in a row, the Mets suffered a loss in the game when Jose Valentin fractured his leg. Valentin hit a foul ball in the fourth inning directly into his right leg, fracturing the tibia. It's the second injury to his right leg this season -- he was previously out with a partially torn ACL. He figures to be out at least six weeks, but the injury probably ends Valentin's season. Oliver Perez, in his second start since returning to the team, picked up the win, allowing only one run over 7 1/3 innings. Jose Reyes broke a tie game in the eighth inning when former Mets reliever Roberto Hernandez made a throwing error on former Dodger Marlon Anderson's sacrifice bunt. Carlos Beltran hit a two-run homer following the error, providing the final margin of victory.

Comets 80, Liberty 74: New York got as close as one with 4 1/2 minutes to go but couldn't close the deal. The Liberty has lost three straight games. Most of its defeats this season have come at the hands of the better teams in the league, but not this one. Houston's only 7-15. New York's now moved below .500.

Staten Island 6, State College 3: Chris Farley hung around just long enough for the win. He went five innings, and the Baby Bombers got their six runs in three-run bursts during the fifth and sixth.

Tri-City 8, Brooklyn 6: Eric Nielsen didn't get out of the second -- when Tri-City scored four runs -- and that didn't help the Cyclones, who couldn't peck away enough.

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