New York Yankees Arrive at PNC Park for a Pit Stop in Pittsburgh

The Yankees are on their way to Toronto for a weekend series with the Jays but first they will make a stop in Pittsburgh and they are all business too.

After clawing back against the Red Sox to earn a series split over the weekend, and a huge two-game sweep of the AL-East-leading Rays in the Bronx, they are looking to gain more ground before the break next week.

Fresh off of their 10th-inning victory on a Bobby Abreu double on Wednesday afternoon in the Bronx, they look to keep their momentum going into the midsummer break.

Back on June 26, the Yankees were leading the Pirates 3-1, a game in which they hit three straight doubles in the first inning, and seemed to be well on their way to a win, until Mother Nature had different ideas.

Rather then suspending the game, they postponed it, erasing everything the Yankees had done.

The Yankees look to put those runs back on the board tonight, as they play a one-game makeup in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. 

This time, the forecast is for a beautiful night at PNC Park with hardly a cloud in the sky.

Originally, this week had two off days for the Yankees, but Major League Baseball saw this as a good opportunity to make up the rain out from June since the Yankees are on their way to Toronto this weekend.

Mike Mussina (11-6, 3.64 ERA) has been stellar for the Yankees this season. He will look to become a 12-game winner before the four-day vacation coming up for him.

Moose, who was somewhat snubbed of an All-Star spot, will have four days to himself and his family next week to look back on the first half. Hank Steinbrenner wouldn't comment on Moose not making the roster, saying, "he has been great for us, that's all I can say about that."

Paul Maholm (5-5, 4.05 ERA) will get the ball for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Maholm is actually the pitcher who was pitching in the game that the Yankees were leading before it was rained out. Not many pitchers get a second chance like this, so he will try to do something with it. 

Maholm has gone deep in four of his starts, lasting eight innings in those and continues to be a regular contributor to the Pirates success thus far.

The Yankees will be without their DH tonight because of the Pirates being at home and National League rules applying. So they will be without Jorge Posada since his throwing arm isn't well enough to catch.

Jose Molina will get the nod behind the plate for his sixth-straight start, and he has impressed many with his masterful throws to second, catching almost everything in sight. 

Before the Rays' B.J. Upton stole second base in the seventh inning Tuesday, Molina had caught 12 straight runners, the longest streak in baseball since 1993. He's thrown out 23 runners and has a 46.9 percent success rate, which leads all of baseball. 

Molina hasn't contributed much at the plate this season, but his defense sure does make up for it. However, Molina is one of those players who will get a hit when you need it the most.

Jason Giambi takes his stache on the road tonight, a day in which is the final day for voting for the final spot on the All-Star roster. He trails rookie sensation Evan Longoria at the moment. 

Giambi came through for the Yankees in his first appearance at the plate on Wednesday afternoon at the stadium when he knocked in Jeter on a single. Which just so happened to be mustache day at the stadium, the first 20,000 fans received a free mustache to wear in support of the big man.

Alex Rodriguez has been quiet the past two games after hitting a solo home run on Sunday against the Red Sox. With the drama and media that surrounds him because of the very public divorce he is going through, he will try to silence the critics and get his bat going tonight. 

A-Rod is a crucial hitter in the Yankees' lineup tonight since they are missing a bat with the pitcher batting ninth.