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Sabathia goes the distance as Yanks drop Mariners

Aug 4, 2012 - 4:19 AM Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - CC Sabathia continued his dominance of the Seattle Mariners Friday night, tossing a complete game three-hitter to lift the Yankees to a 6-3 victory in the opener of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium.

Sabathia (11-3) struck out 10 and walked just one to earn his eighth straight victory over the Mariners, despite giving up a pair of home runs and a double.

"Every time you go out, you feel like you're going to go out and try to dominate somebody and today was just the day," said Sabathia. "Everything started working when I got out there on the mound."

The 32-year-old lefty has now recorded 11 victories in each of his first 12 seasons in the majors to become one of only four pitchers in the modern era (since 1900) to accomplish the feat along with Don Sutton, Eddie Plank and Tom Seaver.

Curtis Granderson knocked in a pair and Eric Chavez added a two-run homer to help the Yankees earn their second straight victory on the heels of a four- game skid.

Kevin Millwood (4-9) absorbed the loss after giving up four runs on nine hits and one walk over six innings.

Casper Wells homered in the fourth and Dustin Ackley added a two-run shot in the ninth, but the Mariners saw their season-high seven-game winning streak come to an end.

"You've got to recognize our guys have been playing good baseball and they played good baseball tonight," said Mariners manager Eric Wedge of his club's win-streak ending. "That guy (Sabathia) was just real good and there's going to be games like that, that's all it is."

The Yankees struck first in the third as Ichiro Suzuki singled to start the frame and Russell Martin followed with double into left-center field. Granderson then stroked a single to right to plate Suzuki and Martin for a 2-0 advantage.

Sabathia retired the first 10 batters he faced, but Wells got the M's on the board in a big way in the fourth as he crushed a first-pitch changeup into the bullpen in left to bring the visitors within 2-1.

Chavez helped the Yankees add a pair in the sixth as he belted a two-out homer into the short porch in right. Eric Thames had a bead on it, but the ball hit the top of the fence and bounced over to give the Yankees a 4-1 edge.

New York added to its lead in the seventh as Martin singled and Granderson walked. Derek Jeter's bunt moved both runners up before Robinson Cano and Raul Ibanez each stroked RBI singles to extend the margin to 6-1.

Sabathia regained his composure after Wells' long ball, retiring the next 12 hitters he faced, including six via strikeout, before Miguel Olivo ripped a one-out double down the left-field line in the eighth.

In the ninth, Sabathia walked Brendan Ryan to set the table for Ackley's two- run shot, but New York manager Joe Girardi came out to settle down the left- hander before he retired the final three Mariners in order to nail down his 35th career complete game.

Game Notes

Millwood fell to 3-8 in 16 career starts against the Yankees...Suzuki has hit safely in all 10 games he has played with New York since being acquired from the Mariners on July 23...New York first baseman Mark Teixeira returned to the lineup after missing the last two games with a left wrist injury. He finished 1-for-4.