CLEVELAND – Ben Broussard homered to begin a six-run inning against Mike Mussina and ended the rally with an RBI single, leading the Cleveland Indians to a 7-4 win over the Yankees last night.

Dominated by Mussina (10-7) for four innings, the Indians scored six times in the fifth off the right-hander, who came in 4-0 in his previous six starts against Cleveland, but lost to the Indians for the first time since April 3, 2000.

Cleveland, which has won five of six, improved to 35-1 when scoring six runs or more.

Cliff Lee (12-4) gutted his way through some early problems to win for the sixth time in seven decisions since June 12. The left-hander allowed four runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Bob Howry and Scott Sauerbeck got the Indians to the ninth before Bob Wickman got three quick outs for his AL-leading 29th save in his 700th career appearance.

Jorge Posada hit a two-run homer for the Yankees, who fell to 4 1/2 games behind first-place Boston in the AL East. The Yankees are just a half-game ahead of the Indians in the multiteam scramble for the AL wild card.

It was the second straight win over New York for the Indians, whose $42 million payroll is roughly one-fifth of what Yankees owner George Steinbrenner has invested in his star-studded squad. One Indians fan mocked the financial disparity with a sign asking: “This is what $205 million buys?”

Mussina made Indians hitters look silly for four innings and cruised into the fifth leading 4-0. But Cleveland scored six runs – four with two outs – against the right-hander, who threw 59 pitches in the first four innings and 44 before being pulled in the fifth.

As a note on the left-field scoreboard proclaimed: “He likes to eat cheeseburgers,” Broussard teed off on Mussina’s fastball, hitting his 11th homer to make it 4-1. Casey Blake followed with a double and scored on Coco Crisp’s one-out double.

Mussina got the second out, but couldn’t get no. 3 as the Indians scored four times. Jeff Liefer hit an RBI single, Aaron Boone blooped a two-run single, and Broussard got his second hit of the inning – an RBI single – to give Cleveland a 6-4 lead.

Fired up by the run support, Lee quickly set down the Yankees in the sixth, striking out two in a 1-2-3 inning.

The Indians added a run in the seventh on Derek Jeter’s throwing error.

Posada’s 14th homer gave the Yankees a 3-0 lead in the second.

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PAVANO MAKES REHAB START

Carl Pavano allowed three runs and six hits over six innings in a rehabilitation start for Class-A Tampa last night.

Pavano struck out three and walked none, throwing 56 of 77 pitches for strikes against the Vero Beach Dodgers.

The Yankees hope Pavano can rejoin the rotation next week. He is 4-6 with a 4.77 ERA this season and doesn’t have a win since May 22.

“They’ll probably re-evaluate me tomorrow,” Pavano said. “I went out there, felt good and I felt like I got stronger as the game went on.”

Pavano hasn’t pitched for the Yankees since June 27 at Baltimore. He experienced more shoulder soreness than normal in the days following that outing and went on the 15-day disabled list July 7.

Jaret Wright is scheduled to make his second minor league start tonight for Tampa. Wright, who went on the disabled list on April 24, one day after leaving his start against Texas because of pain in his shoulder, could rejoin the Yankees later this month.