Twice the Mariners battled back to even the game, but a three-run eighth inning proved to be too much as the Mariners lost to the Yankees 8-5 today in New York.
Yankees CF Melky Cabrera brought home the go-ahead run with a two-run double to deep center. Derek Jeter followed it up with a one-run single before Mariners reliever Sean White finally retired the side with three-straight outs.
The inning was enough to raise the ERA of the usually reliable White by 0.70 points.
To continue...
The Mariners failed to get a runner on base in the ninth off closer Mariano Rivera, who pitched his 19th save of the season, his first since reaching 500 for his career.
The game wasn't all gloom for Seattle. Starter Brandon Morrow had another decent outing in his fourth start of the season.
Facing the second highest scoring offense in the league, he finished 4.2 innings with one earned run, five hits and four strikes. As usual, control was his undoing, as he walked five. Two fielding errors in the second didn't help either.
Still, a two-run fifth inning brought the Mariners even with the Bronx Bombers at three apiece.
In the end, all three Mariners pitchers would give up a run as Chris Jakubauskas gave up a Jeter two-run shot in the seventh, undoing an otherwise flawless relief appearance. Through 2.1 innings, he surrendered only two hits, both scoring, and fanned three batters to zero walks.
Making his first appearance at third base as Adrian Beltre's replacement, Chris Woodward went 2-for-4 with a run scored, though his throwing error led to one of the Yankees runs.
In the end, the heart of the lineup failed Seattle as batters three through five (Jose Lopez, Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Sweeney) failed to register a hit, and the team couldn't match New York's firepower.
Reach Jeff Richards at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Posts
