updated 11:40 p.m. ET June 20, 2008

NEW YORK - Edinson Volquez had a wry grin on his face and a twinkle in his eyes after his first game against the New York Yankees. He earned a win and struck out buddy Melky Cabrera in a key spot.

His next start at Yankee Stadium could be even more fun.

Volquez pitched seven effective innings in Cincinnati’s first game in the Bronx in 32 years, and the Reds beat Mike Mussina and New York 4-2 Friday night to end a five-game skid.

“He was sharp, didn’t look like the crowd or Yankee Stadium bothered him at all,” manager Dusty Baker said. “I mean he was out there just as poised as we’d always seen him.”

Volquez (10-2) allowed two runs and seven hits, struck out five and walked one. He leads the majors with a 1.71 ERA and 110 strikeouts, and has given up three runs or less in each of his 15 starts.

The hard-throwing right-hander could be back at Yankee Stadium next month for the All-Star game — and could be on the short list for the start.

“I don’t know. I hope so,” Volquez said when asked about his chances of making the NL team. “But I don’t know yet.”

Jolbert Cabrera had four hits before departing with a severely dislocated finger and Joey Votto homered for Cincinnati, which snapped New York’s seven-game winning streak. Ken Griffey Jr. added an RBI single in his first game in the Bronx since 1999.

Mussina (10-5) allowed four runs and 10 hits in eight innings, dropping to 0-2 in two career starts against Cincinnati. It was his first loss since he recorded just two outs against Baltimore on May 20.

New York hosted Cincinnati for the first time since the Reds won 7-2 on Oct. 21, 1976, to complete a four-game World Series sweep — the third and last time the Yankees were swept in the Fall Classic. Griffey’s father scored the winning run in the ninth inning of the Reds’ 4-3 win in Game 2.

The two franchises have met in the World Series three times, with the Yankees winning in four games in 1939 and five games in 1961.

Cincinnati took two of three from the Yankees at Great American Ball Park in 2003 but had never played a regular-season game at Yankee Stadium before Friday.

Griffey, the longest-tenured Reds player, downplayed the significance of the matchup before the game but a sellout crowd of 53,421 gave the newest member of the 600-home run club a warm reception before each of his at-bats. Cameras also flashed in the stands with Griffey at the plate.

“Every place we go he gets that kind of reception,” Baker said. “I think people all over really appreciate what he’s done in his career.”

Griffey grounded an RBI single into right field to finish Cincinnati’s three-run fifth against Mussina, who was 9-1 with a 3.25 ERA in his previous 11 starts. The Reds’ big inning started when Edwin Encarnacion’s sinking liner went off left fielder Johnny Damon’s glove for a leadoff double.

“Unfortunately, losing that ball in the lights cost us three,” Damon said. “I saw it, felt like I had a bead on it. It’s like you’re seeing shadows and you try to stick your glove in the right spot. I almost had it in the right spot.”

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