New York ? At least Mike Mussina had a little bit of time to prepare for this start.

Mussina, working on just three days’ rest, allowed only four hits in 62*3 innings and the New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-1, Tuesday night for their sixth straight victory.

New York's Jason Giambi circles the bases after a home run. The Yankees defeated Toronto on Tuesday at New York.

“Finding out yesterday, I think, made it easier,” he said. “If I had come in here and found out it was just three or four hours instead of tomorrow, that would have made it tougher, I’m sure.”

Mussina (6-2) struck out five and walked three while filling in for left-hander David Wells, who missed his turn because of back soreness. Wells had an MRI exam earlier in the day and was diagnosed with a strained lower back. He was listed as day-to-day.

With Orlando Hernandez scratched from Monday night’s start and Wells also out of action, Mussina volunteered for the assignment.

“He came in and asked,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said, “and I told him only if we scratched two starters. Of course, that is exactly what we did.”

Hernandez was placed on the disabled list Tuesday with an upper back strain.

Mussina pitched on three days’ rest for the eighth time in his career, and is 3-3 in those games.

Jason Giambi and Rondell White hit solo homers for the Yankees, giving them a major league-leading 74 in 43 games. New York has won 13 of its last 14 and pulled within a game of Boston in the AL East.

Giambi began a two-run second against Blue Jays starter Luke Prokopec (2-6) by banking his 10th home run off the right-field foul pole. White led off the seventh with his fifth homer of the season.

White Sox 8, Red Sox 3

Boston Magglio Ordonez had four hits, and Dan Wright (5-4) pitched into the seventh inning for his second consecutive strong outing as Chicago beat Boston. Ordonez and Frank Thomas each drove in two runs, and Paul Konerko added three hits for Chicago.

The Red Sox lost for the first time in four games.

Twins 8, Rangers 2

Minneapolis Torii Hunter homered, doubled and drove in five runs, and Minnesota handed Texas its fifth straight defeat. David Ortiz went 4-for-5 for the Twins, who collected 15 hits, broke a three-game losing streak and improved to a major league-best 17-6 at home.

Eric Milton (6-3) struck out seven in six innings.

Tigers 5, Indians 1

Detroit Mark Redman pitched the first complete game of his career, Dmitri Young and Randall Simon hit consecutive home runs and Detroit beat Cleveland for its first five-game winning streak in more than a year.

The Tigers’ previous five-game winning string came May 8-12, 2001. Both streaks started with three-game sweeps of Texas. The Indians have lost five of six.

Redman (1-5) scattered 10 hits in his 45th start in the majors. He gave up an unearned run, struck out three and walked three.

Redman, traded from Minnesota to Detroit last July 28, won for the first time with the Tigers in 11 starts.

Charles Nagy (0-1) took the loss in his first start since Aug. 17, giving up four runs on five hits and a walk in four innings.

Devil Rays 1, Mariners 0

Seattle Joe Kennedy pitched a four-hitter for his first career shutout and Brent Abernathy hit an RBI single in the eighth inning, lifting Tampa Bay over Seattle.

The Mariners lost their third game in a row, while the Devil Rays won their third straight for the first time since April 21-24.

Kennedy (3-3) struck out seven in his first complete game in the majors.

Kennedy issued his only walk to Desi Relaford leading off the ninth inning. Relaford made it to third base on Ichiro Suzuki’s sacrifice and a flyout, but Kennedy struck out Ruben Sierra to end it.

Jamie Moyer (3-2) walked Chris Gomez on four pitches to open the eighth inning. After Jared Sandberg sacrificed, Abernathy singled to center field.