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Sabathia, Yankees cruise past Mariners

May 30, 2011 - 12:58 AM Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Andruw Jones hit a three-run double and CC Sabathia tossed eight innings of one-run ball, as the Yankees salvaged a three-game series against the Mariners with a 7-1 victory.

Sabathia (6-3), coming off a complete-game win over the Blue Jays, gave up just five hits and three walks while striking out five for New York, which had won seven of nine before dropping the first two in this set.

"We need this one badly because we had a chance to win all three games this series," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "To not win the first two was disappointing for us. Our guys turned the page tonight, and jumped on Vargas when we had the opportunity."

Nick Swisher added a solo homer and Curtis Granderson went 3-for-5 with two runs scored in the win.

Jason Vargas (3-3) was pummeled for six runs on five hits and four walks in only three innings for the Mariners, who had won nine of 10 and was looking for their first three-game sweep of the Yankees at Safeco Field.

Seattle's only run came on Justin Smoak's homer in the sixth, but by that time the Yankees had already pushed across seven runs to pull away.

Swisher got the rout started with a solo shot in the second frame, and the Yankees added five runs in the third after Derek Jeter was thrown out at home for that inning's second out.

With runners on the corners, Robinson Cano lined a base hit to right to plate Granderson, then stole second to free up first base. Vargas intentionally walked Swisher to fill the bags for Jones, who poked a ball into the right- field corner for a bases-clearing double.

Eduardo Nunez followed with an RBI triple into the left-field gap to cap the rally.

"He was so close and we've seen him fight through that before," said Mariners manager Eric Wedge of Vargas' third-inning struggles. "Then you hopefully get a couple more innings out of him but they kept working deep counts and he wasn't able to finish off hitters that inning."

In the fourth, Mark Teixeira singled off Jeff Gray to bring home Granderson, ending a string of 16 consecutive scoreless innings by Mariners relievers.

Game Notes

The Mariners haven't swept the Yankees at home since August of 1996 when they played at the Kingdome...Sabathia improved to 10-4 in his career against the Mariners...This is the first loss by the Mariners in a game played by center fielder Franklin Gutierrez. They were 8-0 coming in...Lance Pendleton tossed a scoreless ninth for New York.