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Tanaka goes the distance as Yanks edge Mariners

Jun 12, 2014 - 6:38 AM Seattle, WA (SportsNetwork.com) - Masahiro Tanaka struck out 11 en route to his second major league complete game and the New York Yankees claimed a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners in the middle contest of a three-game set Wednesday at Safeco Field.

Tanaka (10-1) scattered four hits and a walk over the first eight innings and entered the ninth looking for his second big league shutout, but after Endy Chavez opened the final frame with a groundout, James Jones legged out an infield single and former Yankee Robinson Cano followed with a drive just over the wall in left-center field to slice Seattle's deficit in half.

Tanaka quickly recovered, striking out Kyle Seager and Logan Morrison in succession to nail down his 10th win of the season, matching Toronto's Mark Buehrle for the most in the majors.

"He was very good again tonight," New York manager Joe Girardi said of Tanaka. "I thought his stuff was great. Another complete game for him, another complete-game win for him. He just continues to go out and do his job, that's all he's doing."

Mark Teixeira launched a three-run homer, while Jacoby Ellsbury went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Yankees, who have won two straight and four of their last six games.

Chris Young (5-4) was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs on seven hits and two walks over five frames. Jones finished with two of the six hits for Seattle, which had won three straight and eight of their last nine games before dropping a 3-2 decision in Tuesday's series opener.

The Yankees staked Tanaka to a 1-0 lead in the third, as Brian Roberts ripped a leadoff single and Brett Gardner walked before Ellsbury followed two batters later with a single to center to score Roberts.

Tanaka, meanwhile, retired 10 straight batters to start the game before giving up a one-out single to Jones in the fourth. After Cano grounded into a fielder's choice, Seager scorched a single to right to put two men on, but Tanaka fanned Morrison to escape the frame unscathed.

New York extended its lead in the fifth, as Gardner and Ellsbury singled around a Derek Jeter lineout before Teixeira lifted an 0-1 offering just over the wall in right-center field to make it 4-0.

"I made a mistake to Teixeira and pulled a fastball down and in into his wheelhouse and he hit it out," Young said. "It's a night where I needed to keep us close and give us a chance to win late and I didn't do it."

Seattle finally put together a threat against Tanaka in the eighth after Mike Zunino smacked a one-out double and Brad Miller singled to put runners on the corners.

However, Cole Gillespie followed with humpback liner to second baseman Roberts, who fired to first to double off Miller and end the inning.

Game Notes

Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 15 games ... Tanaka also went the distance in a four-hit shutout of the New York Mets on May 14 and has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his 13 outings on the year ... Jeter recorded two stolen bases, his first multi-steal game since Sept. 25, 2009 against the Boston Red Sox ... Cano's homer was his first at Safeco Field since leaving the Yankees to sign with the Mariners in the offseason ... Young entered the game 6-0 in nine career starts at Safeco Field ... Morrison was activated from the 15-day disabled list prior the game, while first baseman Justin Smoak was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained left quad.