I was out at Shea Stadium last night, soaking in the cheerful noisiness of a decidedly motley crew in the upper deck, and missed all of Mike Mussina’s complete-game beauty in Detroit. Final score: Yanks 6, Tigers 1 (Moose missed a shutout due to an error by Alex Rodriguez, but it only took him 100 pitches on the nose, to finish the job regardless.) The Mets and the Diamondbacks featured a terrific billing–Pedro Martinez v. Brandon Webb. Both pitchers were excellent and neither team scored a run until Endy Chavez’s RBI single in the bottom of the 13th. By the time we filed out of Shea, the Yanks had a 4-0 lead in the eighth inning and that’s all I knew until I got home just past midnight.

What a game for Mussina. If the Tigers have one flaw it is that they are over-aggresive offensively and that obviously worked in Mussina’s favor. Andy Phillips and Miguel Cairo–who started in place of the aching Derek Jeter–flashed some leather, the defense turned three double plays, and Mussina cruised. He has pitched at least six innings in each start this season and has 12 consecutive “quality” starts (I know that stat isn’t especially impressive, but when you have a dozen straight in ain’t bubkus either). With Jeter, Sheffield and Damon all sitting and the young Verlander going tonight, Wednesday night’s victory was sweet for the Yankees. Jason Giambi and Rodriguez had three hits each and provided more than enough support for Mussina, undeniably the team’s ace this season.

So? What did I miss? What stood out to those of you who caught it?