• Recap
• Bleachers

Abreu helps Yankees douse Mariners

Sep 7, 2008 - 6:08 AM By Paul Lowenberg PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Bobby Abreu homered and highlighted a five-run seventh inning with a two-run triple to lead the New York Yankees to a come-from-behind 7-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday.

Jason Giambi also homered and doubled to drive in two runs as the Yankees, who managed two hits in a 3-1 loss Friday night, banged out 12 hits to end a two-game losing streak.

Raul Ibanez drove in four runs for the Mariners with a three-run homer and a single.

Reliever Mariano Rivera, who earned his 33rd save in 34 opportunities, came on in the eighth inning with two outs, a run in and a runner at first, to get Jose Lopez to groundout and end the threat. Ibanez had singled in a run in the inning to cut the Yankees lead to 7-4.

New York starter Sidney Ponson (8-5) went six innings to snap a personal three-game losing streak and claim his first victory since August 6.

"He pitched a great game," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He came out and was finding the zone and made his pitches, with the exception of that one to Ibanez."

Ponson, who had not made it into the fifth inning in any of his previous three starts, gave up three runs on five hits, walking one and striking out one while throwing 66 pitches.

Ponson admitted that his previous performances were weighing on him.

"I wanted to have a good game," Ponson said. "It's really hard to have three bad games. It's in your mind. I had to go out there and concentrate, hitter by hitter, and go from there. I didn't help the team out at all the last three starts so I wanted to go deep in the game."

But the win wasn't all offense and pitching.

"I think I told our coaches toward the end of the game that it was the best defense we've played all season long," Girardi said. "I think that we got a lot of ground balls tonight and with Sidney being on, the guys were all on their toes."

Leading 3-2, Mariners starter Ryan Rowland-Smith went 6 1/3 before leaving in the seventh with Johnny Damon on first.

Damon stole second, then third as Derek Jeter drew a walk off reliever Sean Green (4-5), who faced one batter but suffered the loss. Justin Thomas replaced Green and Abreu hit his triple into the right field corner for a 4-3 Yankees lead.

Roy Corcoran relieved Thomas and hit Alex Rodriguez with his first pitch, and Giambi followed with a ground-rule double over the center field wall for a 5-3 advantage. Rodriguez scored on Xavier Nady's ground out and Hideki Matsui's single drove in Giambi to make it 7-3.

"Unfortunately, our bullpen just didn't have it tonight," Mariners manager Jim Riggleman said.

"Sidney did a tremendous job, but anytime you get pitching, you've got to play defense behind it." said Jeter, who made a great leaping catch of a line drive by Luis Valbuena in the third inning with a runner at third to prevent a run from scoring.

"We've got to win. We've got to find ways to win," Jeter said. "We've got 20 games left and the last time I looked, we're not 21 games out yet."

Rowland-Smith was tagged for three runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out one.

"I felt like I was battling a little bit with location," Rowland-Smith said. "I made pitches when I needed to, but I made a few mistakes."

Jeremy Reed had singled off Ponson with two outs in the sixth and Adrian Beltre extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a base hit. Ibanez followed with his 23rd homer for a 3-2 lead.