the Seattle Mariners beat the Yankees 10-3 Sunday, ending New York's five-game
winning streak and handing Joba Chamberlain his first loss in two months.
Doug Fister, making his second career start, held one of
baseball's best lineups to three runs in seven innings for his first major
league win. Seattle is six games behind AL wild card-leading Texas after its
biggest win over the Yankees in eight years.
New York lost for the second time in 14 games but
remained 7 1/2 ahead of Boston in the AL East. The Yankees' season-long, 10-game
trip continues Monday at Oakland.
One of New York's few bright spots in the finale of the
four-game set was Derek Jeter, who passed Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio for most
hits by a shortstop in the third inning, when he fought off a pitch near his
fists for an opposite-field double that scored Ramiro Pena. His 2,674th hit as a
shortstop came two innings after he led off the game with a single.
The Mariners scored five times in the seventh after
fill-in shortstop Josh Wilson made a nice play in the top half of the inning to
preserve Seattle's 4-3 lead. With runners on first and third, Wilson picked up
Johnny Damon's slow roller to the right of second and threw across his body to
record the final out in a close play at first.
Seattle loaded the bases with one out in the bottom half
and Alfredo Aceves hit No. 9 batter Josh Wilson in the back to force in a run.
Ichiro Suzuki greeted Chad Gaudin with a two-run single and Russell Branyan
drove in Wilson with a base hit to make it 8-3. Lopez capped the big inning with
an RBI double.
Aceves, pitching for the first time since throwing four
innings last Monday, allowed a season high-tying four runs in 1 2-3 innings. He
hit two batters.
Jeter was 8 for 16 in the four-game series, which came
after X-rays were negative on his bruised right foot. He also has 13 hits as a
designated hitter in his career. His 2,688 hits are second in Yankees history,
33 behind Lou Gehrig.
Seattle pushed across two runs in the fifth to take a 4-3
lead. Franklin Gutierrez and Jack Hannahan had consecutive two-out RBI singles
against Chamberlain (8-3), who was pitching three days earlier than he expected
to.
The Yankees, guarding Chamberlain's health, pushed back
his start to Wednesday before deciding to throw him on regular rest and then
give him an extended break. The 23-year-old right-hander's next start will be
Aug. 25 against Texas.
It also sets up New York's top three starters — Andy
Pettitte, A.J. Burnett and CC Sabathia — for next weekend's series at Boston.
The 25-year-old Fister (1-0) learned a lesson of life in
the major leagues in the fourth inning. With a man on and the count 3-0 to Nick
Swisher, Fister grooved a batting practice-like 85 mph pitch over the heart of
the plate. Swisher hit it beyond the shrubs in dead center field for his 20th
home run, giving New York a 3-2 lead.
NOTES: It was Seattle's biggest win against New York
since a 10-2 victory on Aug. 19, 2001.