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Mariners end losing streak, slice wild card gap vs. Yankees

Sep 3, 2007 - 9:28 PM By Doug Mittler PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BRONX, New York (Ticker) - Felix Hernandez gave the Seattle Mariners the quality performance they so desperately needed.

Hernandez allowed one run over seven innings and the Mariners capitalized on an ailing Roger Clemens to defeat the New York Yankees, 7-1, and snap a nine-game losing streak in Monday's opener of a key three-game series.

Ichiro Suzuki homered and drove in two runs and Yuniesky Betancourt had two doubles and three RBI for the Mariners, who moved within one game of the Yankees in the American League wild card race.

"The only thing I had on my mind today was to win," Hernandez said. "No matter how, no matter what."

The Mariners banged out 16 hits and did most of their damage off Clemens, who was forced to leave after just four innings and was taken to a hospital to have an MRI on his right elbow.

There was a question whether the elbow problem would prevent Clemens from making the start, but the seven-time Cy Young Award winner tried to pitch through it and allowed five runs and eight hits.

"We checked with him before the game and he said that whatever he had to deal with was not an issue," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "For safety sake, we may skip a turn. It all depends on what the tests show."

Clemens (6-6) was lifted for Mike Mussina, who made the first regular-season relief outing of his career.

The matchup between the 45-year-old Clemens and the 21-year-old Hernandez marked the largest age difference between opposing starters in the majors since Charlie Hough of the Florida Marlins faced Salomon Torres of the San Francisco Giants in 1994.

Youth won out behind Hernandez (11-7), who allowed one run and five hits in seven innings.

"He met the challenge and that's what we needed him to do," Mariners manager John McLaren said.

Hernandez also struck out five and walked four.

"He throws 100 (miles per hour)," Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said. "That pretty much says it all."

Hernandez won for the fifth time in his last six decisions and was helped by a brilliant play by Betancourt to save a run in the second. The shortstop made a diving stop on a grounder by Robinson Cano that started a double play.

Sean Green and George Sherrill combined to pitch the eighth and well-rested closer J.J. Putz struck out one in a perfect ninth to seal the victory.

"It wasn't just big because we're chasing these guys," Putz said. "It's big because we needed to change the cycle of losing."

New York has dropped three of four decisions since sweeping a three-game series from the Boston Red Sox.

Suzuki homered in the third inning to put Seattle ahead for good, 2-1. The All-Star outfielder reached 200 hits for the seventh consecutive season, a feat matched only by Hall of Famers Wade Boggs and Willie Keeler.

It was Suzuki's sixth homer of the season but first since June 4, a span of 342 at-bats.

The Mariners added three runs in the fourth to chase Clemens. Adrian Beltre singled and stole second before the righthander hit Jose Lopez with a pitch. Both runners scored when

Betancourt doubled down the left field line. Suzuki capped the inning with an RBI single for a 5-1 lead.

"The bats came alive today," Seattle's Jose Vidro said.

Mussina, yanked from the rotation after a string of ineffective starts, allowed two runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. He made his only other relief outing in Game Seven of the 2003 AL Championship Series against Boston and now may move back into the rotation due to the injury to Clemens.

"It was good for me to get out there and pitch again. I wish it had been under better circumstances," Mussina said.

The Yankees scored in the first on a broken-bat RBI single by Alex Rodriguez.

Seattle tied it in the second on an infield RBI single by Jose Lopez, who also doubled in a run in the eighth. Betancourt had an RBI double in the sixth to make it 6-1.