Anaheim, Calif. ? Mike Mussina’s elbow held up just fine, and rookie Robinson Cano provided all the offense New York needed with a huge hit in his postseason debut.

Mussina pitched scoreless ball into the sixth inning, Cano lined a three-run double in the first, and the Yankees beat Bartolo Colon again, defeating the Los Angeles Angels, 4-2, in Game 1 of their AL division series Tuesday night.

Mariano Rivera saved it for the Yankees, who looked completely fresh – even after a cross-country trek on the heels of a seven-game road trip to end the regular season. They traveled West late Sunday, one day after clinching their eighth consecutive AL East title with a victory over the rival Red Sox in Boston.

“We’ve been playing important games for the last month or so now,” Yankees captain Derek Jeter said. “It doesn’t matter whether we’re home or on the road.”

New York's Mike Mussina delivers against Los Angeles. Mussina didn't allow a run in 52â3 innings, and the Yankees beat the Angels, 4-2, Tuesday night in Anaheim, Calif.

Darin Erstad’s RBI single cut it to 4-2 in the ninth, only the 10th earned run Rivera has allowed in 71 career postseason appearances. But the right-hander got pinch-hitter Casey Kotchman on a popup with a runner on first to seal the victory.

New York produced all its offense with two outs and wasted little time getting to Colon, a 21-game winner and leading contender for the AL Cy Young Award.

The Angels’ ace threw one ball in his first 13 pitches, but allowed three straight two-out singles in the first to the middle of New York’s order – Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui – prompting a visit from pitching coach Bud Black. Cano then lined a double over Garret Anderson’s head in left, clearing the bases.

“I had two strikes. I wanted to take my chance,” Cano said.

Cano began the season with Triple-A Columbus, but was promoted in May as general manager Brian Cashman shook things up to get the Yankees out of an early season skid.

After a sensational September that earned him AL rookie-of-the-month honors, Cano’s clutch hit Tuesday helped the Yankees to their first victory in a division series opener since they took Game 1 from the Angels in 2002 before losing the next three. New York lost its first-round opener to Minnesota the past two seasons before winning three straight to advance.

New York Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui snags a foul ball hit by L.A. Angels infielder Chone Figgins. The Yankees beat the Angels, 4-2, Tuesday in Anaheim, Calif.

Colon retired Jeter and Alex Rodriguez on five total pitches to start the game, then had two strikes against all four players who got first-inning hits.

“He’s as tough as any pitcher in baseball,” Jeter said. “We tried to score early and Robby had the big hit.”

The burly right-hander, who allowed three home runs to A-Rod on April 26 in the first of 10 meetings between the teams this season, reached 48 pitches after only two innings. He plunked Rodriguez in the back in the second after allowing a two-out single to Jeter. Giambi followed Rodriguez with an RBI double to the corner in right.

Bengie Molina hit a solo home run to center in the seventh for the Angels, who captured their second straight AL West crown a week earlier and won 14 of their final 16 games.

Mussina, a 13-game winner despite being hindered by inflammation near his elbow for most of last month, struck out four and gave up five hits in 52â3 innings.