LATE GAME HEROICS BY NIX HELP YANKS WIN SERIES IN SEATTLE

The New York Yankees entered this game against Seattle having lost their last six games when facing a rookie starting pitcher. Wouldn't you know it, the Mariners were starting rookie right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma.  The Yankees really needed a win, but the deck seemed stacked against our struggling offense that was further handicapped by the loss of Alex Rodriguez to a broken hand.

Derek Jeter gave the Yanks a spark when he homered in the first.  With ARod lost to the disabled list for a six to eight week period, Jeter was batting second in the re-shuffled Yankee lineup for the first time this season.  Apart from giving the Yankees an early 1-0 lead, Jeter had to be pleased that he hit the shot to left field following yet another brush back pitch from a Mariner pitcher.

Unfortunately, Yankee starter Ivan Nova could not respond.  He allowed two runs in the bottom of the first.  Nova yielded back to back singles to Michael Saunders and Jesus Montero.  He also allowed back to back walks to John Jaso and Kyle Seager.  The Seager walk produced an RBI as Saunders was forced home, and a 3-6 fielder's choice off the bat of Mike Carp scored Montero.  Just that quickly, the Yankee lead had evaporated.

Nova only allowed two hits and the two first inning runs during his 5+ inning outing.  Despite walking six, Ivan Nova was able to keep the Yankees close. Bottom line, he didn't have great command and only 58 of his pitches were strikes.

Later on, Ichiro laced a one out single to center, but was caught stealing.  Jeter followed with a single to center and Robinson Cano doubled to left.  Jeter had to stop at third.  Mark Teixeira then flew out to right field to end the inning in which the Yankee managed to score no runs on three hits.

The game rocked along at 2-1 into the eighth inning.  Yankee relievers Clay Rapada, David Phelps, and David Robertson combined for three innings of both hitless and scoreless work.  Offensively, the Yankees found a little groove in their half of the eighth.  Derek Jeter was hit by a pitch, again, and the Mariners replaced Josh Kinney with lefty Lucas Luetge.  Luetge allowed singles to Jeter and Cano to load the bases.  Following a fly out by Curtis Granderson, Girardi played his trump card.  

He opted to pinch-hit Jayson Nix for Raul Ibanez, and in so doing, he forced Mariner manager Eric Wedge to bring in a right hander.  Nix immediately responded with a 3-run double to left field.  His drive cleared the bases and the Yankees finally had a lead at 4-2.  Russell Martin added an RBI single to score Nix, and the Yankees had a 5-2 lead and their highest run total of any game on the road trip!!!

Rafael Soriano closed out the 9th inning and recorded his 26th save.  He allowed one hit and struck out one in the process. The Yanks will now head home with a series win against the Mariners following the 5-2 win today.

The Boston Red Sox will be in New York for a three game series starting Friday...be ready.

--Frank Gentry, BYB Writer

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