Yankees relieved to go 2-5 on trip after beating Mariners
SEATTLE - The New York Yankees headed home from Seattle on Wednesday night having taken two of three games from the Mariners, including a 5-2 win in the finale.
The Yankees aren't likely to forget the series anytime soon, not only because they were in danger of losing the series until pinch-hitter Jayson Nix's three-run double triggered a four-run eruption in the eighth inning.
New York also lost the services of third baseman Alex Rodriguez for as much as two months during the stop in Oakland, A-Rod suffering a fracture in his left hand Tuesday when hit by a pitch from Seattle's Felix Hernandez.
But they did manage to win one of the two series on the trip. Wednesday's win meant they took two in Seattle after losing four one-run games in Oakland.
"Going 2-5 is never what we want to do," New York manager Joe Girardi said. But after losing five games by a total of six runs heading into an off-day, this was a big one for us."
The big man turned out to be backup infielder Nix, who stepped up as a pinch-hitter with the bases loaded and New York down 2-1 in the eighth inning and cleared the bases with a double into the gap in left-center.
"That one felt good," Nix said. "We'd been struggling all day to get something going. And whenever I get my chance, I want to do something positive."
Nix had to share honors with the Yankee bullpen, which rallied strongly after started Ivan Nova, who had walked just five in his previous four starts, walked six in five-plus innings in this one. Clay Rapada came on in the sixth with two on and none out and got a double play.
That started a trend. The New York bullpen faced 12 batters and retired 11 of them.
"The bullpen a tremendous job for us today," Girardi said.
Seattle scored two runs in the first off Nova on two singles, two walks and a run-scoring grounder. The Mariner didn't get another hit until the ninth. But thanks to Nova's control issues, they did hold the lead and they did threaten to add to it -- at least until the Yankee bullpen showed up.
Nova wasn't sure what happened to his control, normally one of the strengths of his game.
"I fell behind batters all game," Nova said. "My mechanics were off. But we won, so that helps."
Seattle manager Eric Wedge was frustrated that the Mariners couldn't do anything against a struggling Nova after the first.
"We did a good job being patient against Nova early," Wedge said. "After that, the few balls we did hit hard, the two guys on the right side of the infielder (second baseman Robinson Cano and first baseman Mark Teixeira), you can't get anything past them.
"You are asking a lot of any pitching staff to hold those guys down for that many innings. We almost did it, but you can't play that tight a game against a veteran offensive club like that."
Without Rodriguez, the Yankees are less a veteran than they would like. He spent the pregame getting fitted for a splint on his injured left hand. After flying home Monday night, he will see the Yankees medical crew, led by Dr. Chris Ahmad on Thursday. After that the club will have an idea of how long they can expect to be without A-Rod, but early suggestions are that 6-8 weeks is a good guess.
"We're going to miss him," Girard said. "But we've had guys injured before. Guys will have to step up."
NOTES: The Yankees have homered in each of their last 12 games in Safeco Field with Derek Jeter's solo shot in the first inning. ... Right fielder Ichiro Suzuki, traded to the Yankees on Monday, didn't fly out with the team Wednesday. Instead, he will fly Thursday "because I have to go home and pack," he said. ... Seattle DH John Jaso tied his career high with three walks, all of them against Nova. ... This was the sixth loss for Seattle when leading after seven innings.
