The Yankees were able to hold the Mariners to just 10 runs in four days, en route to taking three of four games in Seattle. The Yankees have now won six of their last seven and are just a game and a half back of Boston for first place.
On Thursday the Yankees got a strong seven innings from Phil Hughes who was paced by a six run Yankees third inning highlighted by Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira home runs. Hughes pitched seven, gave up no earned runs, and got his third win of the year in a 6-1 victory.
Friday night the Yankees dropped a game as Hiroki Kuroda gave up four runs in the fourth, a deficit that proved insurmountable as Jeremy Bonderman silenced the Yankees bats over six innings. The Mariners bullpen would complete the 4-1 victory in three shutout innings.
Saturday saw a little piece of baseball history as Andy Pettitte recorded the 250th win of his major league career, going seven and one third innings while allowing just one run. The Yankees then used a familiar combination of David Robertson and Mariano Rivera to lock down the 3-1 victory.
That was not the only highlight of the day for Pettitte as the Yankees also drafted his son, Josh Pettitte with a pick in the 37th round of the MLB amateur draft.
The Yanks capped off a successful weekend by squeaking by 2-1 on Sunday, outlasting Felix Hernandez to get the victory. King Felix continued to baffle the Yankees with seven innings and just one run allowed, but the Yankees were able to take the lead in the ninth innings off a Chris Stewart RBI single that scored Ichiro Suzuki.
David Phelps was strong in six innings, matching Hernandez in allowing just one run. The Yankees bullpen was once again strong as Boon Logan and Robertson got the ball to Rivera, who recorded his 23rd save of the season. The bullpen and starting pitching was the story once again this weekend as the Yankees once again had just enough offense to get by.
By Sam Jackson