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Sabathia perfect into 7th, Ks career-high 14

Jul 27, 2011 - 5:54 AM Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - For more than six innings on Tuesday night, only the rain drops could hit CC Sabathia.

The Yankees left-hander certainly wasn't having any trouble against a Mariners team mired in the longest losing streak in franchise history.

"He sure was good," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi.

Sabathia carried a perfect game into the seventh inning, striking out a career-high 14 batters, and David Robertson got him out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth after Sabathia had walked the first three batters.

Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira belted solo homers and the Yankees won the game, 4-1, extending Seattle's losing streak to 17 games.

Sabathia (15-5) has rarely looked better than he did through the first seven innings of this one. He struck out seven batters in a row during one stretch -- a lights-out streak that was halted by a 30-minute rain delay in the top of the sixth.

He returned and got three straight outs before Brendan Ryan broke up the perfect game with a line-drive single into left-center field with one out in the seventh.

"I just wanted to make sure I was absolutely ready to hit something if it was going to be hittable. Thankfully it worked out," Ryan said about breaking up Sabathia's perfect game.

Sabathia threw 71 strikes in 102 pitches during his seven-plus innings and also lasted through a 14-minute rain delay that popped up suddenly. He threw during the 30-minute stoppage, but not during the shorter one, which Girardi said he treated like a long inning.

The Yankees manager said "you'll never know" when he was asked if the initial rain delay hurt Sabathia's chances to pitch a perfect game.

"It could have. He was so sharp before the rain delay and I thought his slider got a little bigger after it," said Girardi. "You can't fight Mother Nature."

Ryan had the only hit of the game for the Mariners, who have rarely looked so bad -- even during a losing streak that has lasted three weeks. They struck out 18 times in the game.

Robertson fanned two batters after Sabathia walked the bases loaded in the eighth, but also allowed a run that was charged to Sabathia on a ground out. Mariano Rivera fanned two more in the ninth for his 26th save.

Sabathia, who entered the game as the majors' only 14-game winner, also became the first to 15 as he won for the eighth time in nine starts.

The Yankees have captured the first two games of this three-game series and three in a row overall.

Granderson knocked in New York's first run with an opposite-field homer in the fourth inning, landing it in the first row of seats.

Eric Chavez was activated off the 60-day disabled list, his broken left foot healed, and delivered an RBI single during a two-run fifth inning that made it 3-0.

Mariners starter Doug Fister (3-12) gave up all three runs and pitched seven innings, falling to 0-7 in his last 10 starts. He gave up seven hits and a walk, striking out five.

Justin Smoak was Sabathia's first walk in the eighth inning and he eventually scored on Chone Figgins' fielder's choice. The Yankees got that run back in the bottom of the inning when Teixeira homered to right.

Game Notes

Granderson and Teixeira both hit their 28th homers of the season...Sabathia has never thrown a no-hitter...The Yankees are 4-1 on a 10-game homestand...Seattle's losing streak is the longest in the majors since Kansas City dropped 19 in a row during the 2005 season. The American League record is 21, set by Baltimore at the start of the 1988 season. The Mariners haven't won since beating Oakland 4-2 on July 5.