(Sports Network) - The New York Yankees try for their fifth straight win this evening when they play a makeup game with the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

The Yankees split their first two games with the Pirates, but the finale was rained out on June 26. The contest actually got underway, but was called in the top of the third inning with the Yankees leading 3-1.

Mike Mussina was on the hill that night and will be there again this evening, as he tries to match Los Angeles' Joe Saunders for the American League lead in wins. Mussina improved to 11-6 on Saturday with a brilliant performance against the Boston Red Sox, as he held them to four hits over six scoreless innings, lowering his earned run average on the season to 3.64.

The 39-year-old Mussina, who has gone at least six innings in his last seven starts, has already matched his win total from last season and will try to match his best start before the break since winning 12 games in 2002.

Mussina's only other start against the Pirates resulted in a five-hit shutout back on June 14 of the 2005 campaign.

The Yankees enter this contest rolling after taking both games of a brief two- game series with the major league-leading Tampa Bay Rays, completing the sweep with a thrilling 2-1 win on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium.

Bobby Abreu's double in the 10th inning drove home Derek Jeter from first to give the Yanks the extra-inning victory. Jeter scored both runs for New York, which moved 6 1/2 games back of the Rays for first place in the AL East.

Mariano Rivera (4-3) threw two shutout innings of relief, fanning four, to get the win. Sidney Ponson started and tossed six innings, allowing only five hits and one run with four strikeouts and two walks to get a no-decision in his third start for the Yankees.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, was denied a sweep in its three-game series with the Houston Astros on Wednesday, dropping a 6-4 decision. Nate McLouth doubled three times and scored twice for the Pirates, while Adam LaRoche, Jason Bay, Ryan Doumit and Freddy Sanchez each knocked in a run.

Sean Burnett (0-1) allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings to take the loss in relief of John Van Benschoten, who was tagged for four runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 frames, walking six and striking out six. Van Benschoten was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis after the game.

Heading to the hill for the Pirates tonight will be lefty Paul Maholm, who is 5-5 with a 4.05 ERA. Maholm, though, is unbeaten in his last eight starts and received a no-decision in his previous trip to the hill on Saturday in Milwaukee. Maholm pitched well enough to get the win in that one, as he allowed a run and four hits in eight innings, but his team managed just one run for him in a 2-1 loss.

Maholm lost his only other start to the Yanks, giving up five runs (three earned) and six hits in 5 1/3 frames.

The Yankees have won seven of their eight all-time meetings with the Pirates.