Yankees Continue Hot Streak By Beating Up M's

YANKEES 8

MARINERS 5

While the crosstown Mets just can't seem to get out of their own way, the New York Yankees are starting to heat things up. The Bombers blasted the mediocre Seattle Mariners 8-5 at the new Yankee Stadium to extend their winning streak to six games.

Offensively, the Bombers did just enough to hold off a Seattle team that pounded Joba Chamberlain through five and a third innings. Chamberlain gave up three runs on nine hits in that span, continuing a long stretch of average starts by the hefty right hander.

Luckily for Chamberlain, he had a good team behind him. In the second inning, Hideki Matsui reached on a throwing error by Mariners third baseman Chris Woodward to drive in Robinson Cano and move Jorge Posada to third base. Two batters later, Melky Cabrera drove in Posada with a sac fly to left center to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

But, the Mariners would not go away. Ronnie Cedeno led off the third inning with a solo home run to left to cut the lead in half. Then, the Mariners tied the game at three, when Russell Brayan singled to bring home Ichiro Suzuki, and Franklin Gutierrez brought home Jose Lopez to tie it up at three a piece.

The Yankees finally countered in the seventh inning, as Johnny Damon led things off with a ground rule double off of Chirs Jakubauskas. Later, Alex Rodriguez broke the ice off of the Yankees bats with a two run shot to give the Yankees a 5-3 lead.

But, again, Seattle just wouldn't go away. Brian Bruney struggled with his control for the second straight outing. He allowed three straight hits to Gutierrez, Woodward, and Kenji Johjima. Johjima's single drove in Gutierrez to make it 5-4. After Ichiro drew an intentional walk, Branyan hit a sac fly to left to drive in Woodward to tie the game again at 5-5.

Finally in the bottom of the eighth, the Yankees stormed back. With Steve White on the mound for the Mariners, the Yankees pounded out four hits and three runs to take the deciding lead of the game. Matsui led off with a double to right center; then Nick Swisher reached first base on a bunt single to move pinch runner Brett Gardner to third. Cabrera doubled to center to drive home Gardner to give the Yankees a 6-5 lead. Finally, Derek Jeter singled up the middle to drive in both Cabrera and Swisher to give the Bombers a 8-5 lead.

Mariano Rivera, just one game separated from his first career RBI and 500th career save, notched his 501st career save with a 1,2, 3 ninth to close the game out for the Yankees. Box Score.