Mar 4, 2007 3 min read

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Mike Mussina is finding his feel for pitching again. The right-hander allowed one run and two hits in two innings for the New York Yankees in a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.

“It felt strange,” Mussina said. “The first time, you hope that you can at least get the ball over the plate, and I did that for the most part. That’s all you try to do, get used to it again. You just don’t do full speed ever until you’re out there in a game.”

Mussina threw 24 of his 34 pitches for strikes.

“I don’t expect it to be great the first day,” Mussina said. “I just expect to find a feel for it and work up from wherever the starting point is. This is an adequate starting point.”

The 38-year-old Mussina went 15-7 with a 3.51 ERA in 32 starts last season. He has a career record of 239-134.

“He wasn’t pleased, obviously, but he was fine,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said. “He came through it. He felt fine. That’s all you really want.”

Brad Eldred hit his second homer of the spring, a second-inning solo shot off Mussina that put the Pirates up 1-0.

“Midseason form on the homers,” Mussina joked. “That was a pretty good one.”

Chris Aguila’s sacrifice fly made it 2-0 in the fourth.

Jorge Posada had a fourth-inning solo homer, and Marcos Vechionacci hit a tiebreaking RBI single during a three-run eighth for the Yankees.

Pittsburgh starter Shane Youman gave up two hits in two scoreless innings. He struck out Alex Rodriguez with a runner on second to end the first.

Youman went a combined 11-2 with a 2.29 ERA in 31 games last season with Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis. He made five September appearances with the Pirates, including three starts.

Yankees pitcher Carl Pavano, who was hit on the left instep by liner during batting practice last weekend, will make his first start of the spring on Sunday against Philadelphia.

“Step one,” Torre said. “I’m looking forward to it. It seems like he’s ready to do it.”

Pavano, starting the third season of a $39.95 million, four-year contract, hasn’t pitched in the major leagues since June 27, 2005, due to various injuries.

NOTES: Pittsburgh 3B Jose Castillo left in the third with a sprained right foot. … Pittsburgh LHP Paul Maholm is scheduled to pitch against Cincinnati RHP Bronson Arroyo in a 10 a.m. “B” game Sunday. … New York OF Bobby Abreu (strained right oblique) is feeling better. He is expected to be out at least another couple of weeks. … Youman threw 32 pitches, 22 strikes. … The Yankees sent INFs Vechionacci and Ramiro Pena, Cs Francisco Cervelli, Omir Santos and P.J. Pilittere, and RHP Steven White to their minor league camp. … Pirates OF Xavier Nady, recovering from an inflamed intestine, worked out on his own at Pirate City in Bradenton for the second consecutive day.