WP – Batista (5-2)  LP – Sabathia (7-5)

The Seattle Mariners couldn’t come up with clutch hits in the first two games of their first series at the new Yankee Stadium, but last night they smacked CC Sabathia around en route to an 8-4 win over the Yankees.  The loss snapped the Bombers’ 7 game winning streak and dropped them 3 games behind idle Boston in the AL East.

Although he allowed a lead off, frozen rope double to Ichiro Suzuki to start the ball game, Sabathia looked dominant in the 1st inning.  But a mid-90s fastball, up in the zone with no movement can get you in trouble fast and that’s what happened to the Yankee ace.  Franklin Gutierrez belted a solo home run off Sabathia in the 2nd inning for a 2-0 M’s lead.  Back-to-back singles by Kenji Johjima and Ryan Langerhans followed and Chris Woodward came through with a run-scoring sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead after two.

The Yankees kept rallying against Mariners starter Jason Vargas, but couldn’t completely erase the deficit, thanks to Sabathia’s ineffectiveness.  With his team back in the game at 3-2, Sabathia gave up four hits in the 4th inning, including RBI-producing base knocks by Woodward and Ichiro.  Melky Cabrera nearly made a long running catch of Ichiro’s fly ball, but it ticked off the top of his glove for a 2-run double that pushed the Mariners’ advantage to 6-2.

Ichiro’s countryman, Hideki Matsui, answered with a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 4th, but the Yankees couldn’t solve the Mariners’ bullpen.  Miguel Batista, Mark Lowe, and David Aardsma scattered three hits over the final five innings, and a potential Yankees’ rally fell short in the 9th.

Russell Branyan, who had struck out 7 times, combined in Wednesday and Thursday’s games, extended the M’s lead with a titanic 2-run blast off the facing of the restaurant in dead center field in the top of the 9th.  In a non-save situation, Aardsma gave up back-to-back singles to Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher to start the Yankees’ last licks, but retired Matsui and Cabrera on fly balls, and struck out pinch-hitter Jorge Posada to preserve the lead.

Game Notes

Not counting his start in Florida when he left the game early due to bicep tightness, last night marked the first game since April 16 that Sabathia didn’t pitch into the 7th inning.

Jose Molina’s rehab stint will conclude with four games with the Scranton Yankees.  He’s expected to be activated for Tuesday night’s game in Minnesota.

Mark Teixeira’s throwing error in the 9th inning was his first miscue in 107 games.

The Yankees begin a 4-game holiday series with the Toronto Blue Jays this afternoon (1:05 p.m. ET).  A.J. Burnett makes his 2nd start against his old teammates and will face lefty Brian Tallet.