That's because Yankee Stadium just happens to be the site of this year's All-Star Game.

Volquez's show-stopping abilities didn't wilt under the bright lights of the big city, and they only added to his credentials. His seven-inning performance helped give the Reds a sorely needed 4-2 win over the Yankees and snapped a five-game losing streak.

"That's probably one of the best games he's thrown, considering the amount of pitches he threw [103] in that period of time," manager Dusty Baker said. "He was sharp. It didn't look like the crowd of Yankee Stadium bothered him at all. He was as poised as we've always seen him."

Volquez gave up two earned runs and seven hits with one walk and five strikeouts. It was the 14th time in 15 starts he's held his opponents to fewer than three earned runs.

And this was not just a run-of-the-mill opponent. New York came in the winner of seven straight. Volquez also beat Yankees starter Mike Mussina's solid eight-inning effort. Mussina came in a winner of nine of his last 11 starts.

"We were freezing cold," Baker said. "We were due to win one real soon, and they were due to lose one pretty soon. Volquez was the primary reason. He threw the ball great tonight."

A crowd of 53,421 was often raucously cheering for the Yankees as Volquez pitched.

Crowd? What crowd?

"I didn't even pay attention to those guys," Volquez said. "I just tried to keep my mind right and make good pitches. It's a good stadium, a lot of fans, and New York -- the big city."

Joey Votto's two-out solo home run, part of his three-hit night, gave Volquez a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Volquez's only mistake -- the first balk of his career -- put a runner on third and led to a run when Melky Cabrera scored on Johnny Damon's broken-bat single through the middle.

A three-run Cincinnati fifth came after Jay Bruce was intentionally walked to put runners on the corners with two outs. Mussina instead faced Jolbert Cabrera, who lined a two-out double near the left-field line as part of his four-hit night.

Ken Griffey Jr. followed with a single to right field. Cabrera beat Bobby Abreu's one-hop throw and a tag by sliding his back foot over the plate.

A damper on the win came after Cabrera's fourth hit of the game in the seventh inning. Trying to take second on a wild pitch with a head-first slide, Cabrera dislocated his left index finger when it jammed into the bag.

It was a nasty injury. The bone popped through Cabrera's skin and forced him to leave the game. Cabrera was taken to a local hospital to have the finger put back into place under anesthesia. With the injury, the Reds have lost their fourth shortstop to the disabled list this season.

"He's definitely on the DL when you dislocate it like that and it's through the skin," Baker said. "They had to stitch it up right there. We're talking some weeks there."

In the bottom of the seventh, Volquez was nearing 100 pitches but throwing 96- to 97-mph fastballs with the pressure squarely on his shoulders. A pair of one-out singles put runners on first and second with one out. The crowd was on its feet, cheering for a breakthrough.

Robinson Cano's two-out single scored a run, but no really big hits came. Volquez got Cabrera to swing at an 86-mph changeup for an inning-ending third strike. Normally reserved, Volquez pumped his fist as he left the mound.

"I've known Melky for a long time," Volquez said. "We grew up together in the Dominican. We played in the same league and Little League. I knew what kind of pitch I had to throw to him."

Now the owner of a 10-2 record, Volquez is tied with Colorado's Aaron Cook for the second-most wins in the National League, behind Brandon Webb's 11. Volquez's 1.71 ERA and 110 strikeouts lead the Majors.

No doubt the All-Star light will shine Volquez's way. Whether he starts the game is in question and will depend on how his next few starts for the Reds line up.

"He's one of the better guys that we've seen in a long time," Damon said. "His changeup does a few different things -- it acts like a screwball, the bottom sinks out of it and his fastball is overpowering. He was able to throw upwards of 97 or 98 mph and still seem like he had a bit more in him. He's a good pitcher, and I'm definitely glad he's in the other league right now."