A.L. reports

NEW YORK YANKEES

One reason for RHP Mike Mussina's successful start is his trust in his fastball, which he is hammering on the outside black. "When you think Mike Mussina, you think knuckle and curve and off-speed stuff. So that makes his fastball that much better," manager Joe Torre says.... RHP Jeff Weaver might be overcoming a persistent problem with midgame frustration. In a recent loss to the A's, he appeared exasperated with himself after allowing successive hits. But he collected himself and retired nine of the next 10 hitters.... 1B Jason Giambi finally sat out a game last Saturday because of a staph infection in both eyes that has contributed recently to his seasonlong struggles. The ailment, which leads to blurry vision and makes his eyes dry and itchy, seems to bother Giambi more in cold weather. Medication has not solved the problem. In a 15-game span, Giambi drew four walks and struck out 15 times. In the previous 19 games, he had 17 walks and 15 strikeouts.... Playing in place of injured SS Derek Jeter, Erick Almonte made a good impression on Torre. But Torre thinks Almonte's future in the majors will be at third base. "As long as he stays on that side of the infield he should be OK," Torre says. "He has good hands and a good arm."

OAKLAND ATHLETICS

OF Chris Singleton has been a pleasant surprise so far this season. Not only was he hitting .305 through 30 games, he boasted an on-base percentage of .333. The A's pride themselves on their on-base percentage, and they entered the week at .328 as a team. Singleton finished with a .296 mark with the Orioles last year. "I still think he could get some more walks and get his on-base percentage higher, but he's given us, offensively, as much as we expected," manager Ken Macha says. "We're looking for more patience at the plate from everybody. It's got to be a work in progress." ... A brief move recently from third in the batting order to fifth didn't go over well with struggling SS Miguel Tejada, who can become a free agent after this season. He said he believed the switch was the first step toward being traded, though Macha moved him to fourth the next day. Tejada entered the week hitting .199 with seven homers and 20 RBIs.... There is no timetable for RF Jermaine Dye's return from right knee surgery, but the procedure, during which loose cartilage was removed from his knee, is expected to sideline him three to five weeks.

SEATTLE MARINERS

Manager Bob Melvin says RHP Freddy Garcia's third-inning meltdown in the 16-5 loss to the Yankees last Thursday was an aberration. New York scored 10 runs in the third inning, nine off Garcia, and finished the game with the most runs scored in Safeco Field history. Garcia lasted just 2 2/3 innings. Melvin says Garcia's pitches were up and in the middle of the plate, but that it happens--though he adds, "hopefully not too many times." ... Fresh off a stint on the D.L. because of a strained lower back, RHP Kazuhiro Sasaki retired the side in the ninth inning of Thursday's loss. Melvin wanted to ease Sasaki back into closing and used RHP Jeff Nelson to close a win Friday over the White Sox.... OF Randy Winn, who hit .255 in the second spot in the lineup through the first month of the season, was hitting .381 after a move to the No. 7 spot.... RF Ichiro Suzuki, who hit eight home runs in each of his first two seasons, already has three and was robbed of a fourth by the White Sox's Magglio Ordonez last week.