A little backup: With Roger Clemens handling blisters on his pushoff foot and a bout with arm weariness, the Yankees planned to have Mike Mussina accompany the Rocket to the bullpen, just in case. "I think we have to rely on Roger," Torre said before the game. "At 45 years old, he certainly understands the importance, not only of this game, but the importance of the rest of the season." It ended up being a moot point, as Clemens proclaimed himself good to go and retired the side in the first inning around an Ichiro Suzuki single. But the Yankees' question now is, how can they get Mussina back in the mix, particularly with off-days on Thursday and Monday muddling the situation? "We have to figure out how we're going to go about that," Torre said. The Yankees want to see Ian Kennedy at least once more coming off his seven-inning performance against the Devil Rays on Saturday, but they also recognize that Mussina needs to be involved, somehow. Mussina has not pitched since the Yankees' 16-0 loss at Detroit last Monday, when he allowed six runs and nine hits in three innings. Torre said he would hate to dismiss Mussina after three bad starts, especially when considering the package of Mussina's full season. The idea of a six-man rotation down the stretch has not been ruled out, and pitching coach Ron Guidry is expected to be consulted. --

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