Mussina narrowly misses perfection

BOSTON -- Mike Mussina already had struck out 13 of 26 batters and had Carl Everett in a 1-2 hole. One more strike and Mussina would have a perfect game. Then Everett swung.

Mussina knew immediately. "I thought it was a hit," he said.

The pitcher who had been right all night was right again. He watched left fielder Chuck Knoblauch race in and shortstop Derek Jeter rush out. But they never had a chance.

"It comes down to the last strike," the Yankees' David Justice said. "He just got enough of it."

Everett, it seemed, had no chance as he walked to the plate in the bottom of the ninth Sunday night in the Yankees' 1-0 win over the Boston Red Sox. He was in a 3-for-32 slump, was 1-for-9 with seven strikeouts in his career against Mussina and was nursing a balky knee.

He was in the clubhouse hitting off a tee when the call came to pinch hit for Joe Oliver. Assistant trainer Chris Correnti offered encouragement.

"He said, 'Go out there and break it up,' " said Everett, who didn't speak to reporters but related his comments through team spokesman Kevin Shea.

Cameras flashed in the stands as Everett fouled off the first pitch. Then he swung at and missed a high fastball. Then he took a ball. And then Mussina threw another high fastball, a pitch Everett usually has trouble with.

Not this time.

The ball dropped between Knoblauch and Jeter for a single. All Mussina could do was hang his head, smile, and try to win a game that, suddenly, was in jeopardy.

Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre visited him at the mound.

"I said to him ,'I'll stay here as long as you need to get the next hitter out,"' Stottlemyre said. "He said, 'OK, let's go."'

Mussina (14-11, 3.39 ERA) then ended the game as Trot Nixon grounded out to second baseman Alfonso Soriano.

"I had to pitch out of the stretch for the first time and the tying run's at first," Mussina said. "It was a spot to take a couple of breaths, get reorganized and try to go at them."

As first baseman Clay Bellinger took Soriano's throw, Mussina pumped his fist weakly as the Yankees streamed from the dugout. It was a subdued celebration for a pitcher who won the game but lost a bid for the 15th perfect game in modern history.