ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – Mike Mussina shut down the Los Angeles Angels, Hideki Matsui hit a two-run homer and the New York Yankees won 4-1 Sunday to avoid a four-game sweep.

Mussina (10-5) held the Angels to one run and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings. He struck out four and walked two as the Yankees completed a 6-5 road trip to Boston, Texas and Los Angeles.

They return to New York on Tuesday night for their first homestand since the All-Star break – three games against Minnesota and three more against the Angels. The Yankees are 1 games behind the first-place Red Sox in the AL East and trail the Twins and Athletics by a half-game in the wild-card race.

Mariano Rivera got five outs for his 25th save in a row since blowing his first two opportunities of the season against Boston. He has saved each of New York’s last eight victories.

Jason Giambi, plunked by Jarrod Washburn one pitch after Matsui’s 17th homer in the seventh inning, scored from third to make it 3-1 when Tino Martinez beat out a potential double-play ball.

First base umpire Larry Young ruled that Washburn didn’t have his foot on the bag when he took the relay throw from shortstop Maicer Izturis.

New York added a run in the ninth on an RBI double by Martinez.

Washburn (6-6) limited the Yankees to one hit, Robinson Cano’s double in the fourth inning, until they got to him in the seventh. The left-hander allowed three runs and five hits in 7 2-3 innings, with three strikeouts and a walk. He plunked Giambi twice.

The Angels, trying to sweep the Yankees for the first time in a four-game series, scratched out a run against Mussina in the first inning.

Chone Figgins singled, stole second, went to third on Darin Erstad’s groundout and scored on another groundout, by Vladimir Guerrero.

The Yankees missed a chance to tie it in the third, when ex-Yankee Juan Rivera made a perfect, one-hop throw to catcher Jose Molina from right field to cut down Cano at the plate. He was attempting to score on Alex Rodriguez’s fly.

Mussina got out of a jam in the seventh, when the Angels had runners at first and second with one out. Erstad then grounded to third, and Rodriguez caught the ball right at the bag before throwing to first to complete the inning-ending double play.

Notes: Cano’s double in the fourth inning extended his hitting streak to 13 games, a team high this year. … The 25 consecutive saves by Rivera is his longest streak in one season. He had 23 in a row last year. … All the games in the series were sellouts, with the total attendance of 176,219 (44,032 for the finale) a high at home for the Angels for a four-game set. … Los Angeles 3B Dallas McPherson will report to Arizona and face his first live batting practice since going on the DL on July 8 with inflammation in his left hip. … New York RHP Kevin Brown left the team early to have his ailing back checked by a doctor in Colorado. Manager Joe Torre said Brown, who will rejoin the team in New York, was OK. … Randy Johnson, who left Thursday’s game with a twinge in his back, said he will be able to make his next scheduled start, Tuesday night against Minnesota.

AP-ES-07-24-05 1933EDT

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