(Sports Network) - Mike Mussina takes aim at his third straight win this afternoon as the New York Yankees continue their push towards a 13th straight postseason appearance in the third test of a four-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium.

After being removed from the rotation following a three-start losing streak that saw him pitch to a 17.69 earned run average, Mussina has returned with a vengeance, winning his last two outings without giving up a run. Against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday Mussina scattered three hits in seven scoreless innings to even his record at 10-10, while lowering his ERA to 5.01.

The 38-year-old righty, who will be trying for his 250th career win today, held the Blue Jays scoreless over 5 2/3 innings two starts ago and is 22-11 lifetime against them with a 3.31 ERA in 40 starts.

Toronto will hand the ball to 25-year-old right-hander Dustin McGowan, who is 11-9 with a 3.84 ERA. McGowan won for the third time in his last four decisions on Monday thanks to a complete game effort against the Boston Red Sox. McGowan surrendered a run and five hits in that one.

McGowan was handed the loss in his start against Mussina and the Yankees on September 12 and is 2-1 in his career against them with a 4.55 ERA in eight games, four of which have been starts.

New York pulled out a wild win in the second game of this series on Saturday, as Melky Cabrera's RBI single in the 10th lifted the Yankees to a 12-11 win.

Jorge Posada led off the bottom of the 10th with a ground-rule double to left off Josh Towers (5-10). Towers then intentionally walked Jason Giambi before Robinson Cano advanced both runners with a deep fly to left. Wilson Betemit struck out but Cabrera ended a back-and-forth game that lasted five hours with a single to right.

Toronto threatened in the top half of the inning. With Matt Stairs at first and two outs, Aaron Hill doubled to right-center, but on the play Stairs was gunned down at the plate.

Cabrera finished with three hits and five RBI, while Alex Rodriguez had four hits and three RBI and Hideki Matsui had three hits and three RBI for the Yankees, who have won five of six and upped their advantage in the wild card race to 5 1/2 games over the Detroit Tigers. However, New York remained 2 1/2 back in the AL East, as the Boston Red Sox won in Tampa Bay and clinched a playoff spot.

Aaron Hill had three hits and an RBI, while Russ Adams, Adam Lind and Curtis Thigpen drove in two runs apiece for the Blue Jays, who had a four-game winning streak snapped.

The Yankees have won nine of their 16 matchups with the Jays this season and are 43-28 in the series since the start of the 2004 campaign. Toronto has also struggled in NY, where it is just 6-11 in its last 16 visits.