Yankees' Garcia gets 150th career victory

NEW YORK -- He picked up his 150th victory against the team for which he earned his first win 14 seasons ago. In between, Freddy Garcia has had to reinvent himself, and withstand the humbling aspect of his advancing age.

But Garcia became the first Venezuelan to reach 150 wins Sunday, throwing five innings of two-run ball in the New York Yankees' 6-2 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Garcia was helped by current Yankees and former Mariners teammate Raul Ibanez's home run and three RBIs, as well as four scoreless innings from three relievers.

"We were able to score some runs and the bullpen (was) great, four innings scoreless. That's what we do here," Garcia said. Of becoming the first Venezuelan with 150 victories, he said, "I still have the record. For me, it's another win, hopefully more coming."

The Yankees took two of three from Seattle, and won their third game in their last four overall.

Garcia, who recorded his first 76 wins for the Mariners, beat his old team by holding it to two runs on five hits in his five innings. He walked four and struck out two.

Ichiro Suzuki extended his hitting streak to 12 games, tying the team record for a streak to begin a Yankees career. Ichiro was credited with a double in the seventh inning when Mariners center fielder Michael Saunders lost his fly ball in the sun. Ex-Yankee Jesus Montero had two hits and two RBIs for the Mariners against his ex-teammates.

Freed from the ordeal of facing Mariners ace Felix Hernandez, who pitched a complete-game two-hitter Saturday, the Yankees banged out 11 hits against five pitchers. They peppered starter Hisashi Iwakuma (2-3) for four runs (three earned) on seven hits in five innings.

After building a 4-2 lead through five, the Yankees opened things up in the sixth, when Ibanez smacked a two-out, two-run single over leaping shortstop Munenori Kawasaki, for a 6-2 lead.

Mark Teixeira had been intentionally walked to load the bases, a fact the even-tempered Ibanez said he attempted to quickly put out of his head.

"For a moment you do, but the quicker you can get rid of that ... that's emotion talking," Ibanez said, when asked if he took note of the intentional walk. "It has nothing to do with the task at hand."

The hit came off lefty Oliver Perez, following Josh Kinney, who had put two men on with a walk and a hit.

Ibanez's solo homer in the fifth had given the Yankees a 4-2 lead after Seattle cut the deficit to 3-2 in the top of the inning when Montero picked up one each of his two RBIs and two hits with a two-out single.

"Iwakuma went out there and battled," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. "He gave us a chance to win the ballgame, kept us in the ballgame and had to work really hard. I felt like their guy had to work hard too."

The Mariners took a 1-0 lead on Garcia in the first with Montero's RBI single scoring Dustin Ackley. But Montero ran through a stop sign at third base, allowing right fielder Nick Swisher to throw him out at the plate on Kyle Seager's single, ending the inning.

"Well, sometimes it works out for you and sometimes it doesn't," Wedge said of Montero running through the stop sign. "Swisher came up and made a good throw and he was out."

The Yankees tied it 1-1 in the first on Teixeira's single, in which he beat out a grounder to second baseman Seager, who was playing on the outfield grass.

The Yankees added a run in the second when Curtis Granderson's hard-hit grounder went through the legs of first baseman Ackley for an error, scoring Chris Stewart, who had doubled.

The Yankees took a 3-1 lead in the fourth when Derek Jeter singled to left-center, just over the glove of Kawasaki.

NOTES: Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte was scheduled to have X-rays taken of his fractured left ankle Sunday to monitor his progress in his rehab. He is projected to return in early September. ... Outfielder Brett Gardner (strained right elbow) could join the Yankees when rosters expand in September even if he is limited by the injury, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. Gardner's speed could make him an effective pinch runner. ... Mariners shortstop Brendan Ryan (bruised left elbow) was out of the lineup after getting hit by a pitch Saturday. He is day to day, the Mariners said.