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Mariners-Yankees Preview

Jul 1, 2009 - 5:01 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Seattle (39-36) at New York (43-32), 7:05 p.m. EDT

The New York Yankees have won six straight games, but the Seattle Mariners will likely be more concerned with a different streak when they continue their series at Yankee Stadium.

Seattle has lost nine consecutive contests in two different stadiums in the Bronx, an ignominious run the Mariners will try to end when left-handers Andy Pettitte and Jarrod Washburn square off Wednesday night.

New York's home winning streak against the Mariners dates to September 4, 2007, and the Yankees have rarely left much to doubt, outscoring Seattle 80-27 in the nine games and winning all but one of them by at least three runs.

That includes Tuesday's series-opening 8-5 victory, as they broke a tie with three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. After throwing out the first pitch in honor of his 500th career save, Mariano Rivera cruised to No. 501.

"I told the guys, 'I might throw the first and the last one, too,'" Rivera said.

Alex Rodriguez also homered for the third time in his last five games to help extend the team's latest impressive run, which has extended into a seven-game homestand. The Yankees (44-32) capped a 6-3 road trip with a three-game sweep of the rival New York Mets over the weekend.

They have scored 45 runs and given up 19 in their last six games, closing within 2 1/2 games of first-place Boston in the AL East.

"They can put up a lot of runs on the board in a hurry," Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said.

They needed a big offensive effort to win Pettitte's last start, as the veteran gave up a season-high six runs - three earned - in a season-low 3 2/3 innings. New York still won 11-7 at Atlanta.

Pettitte (7-3, 4.38 ERA) has been considerably better against Seattle lately. In three starts against them since rejoining the Yankees after his stint with Houston, the left-hander has a 3.10 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 20 1-3 innings despite a 1-2 record.

The Mariners (39-37) had won nine of 12 coming into the series, but they played their first game without Adrian Beltre on Tuesday after the third baseman's shoulder surgery. Chris Woodward, Beltre's replacement in the field, committed the game's only two errors on the same second-inning play to help give the Yankees two runs.

They'll be hoping for better defense behind Washburn, who will pitch after finally earning his first victory since April 21 in his last outing. Washburn (4-5, 3.22) allowed two runs in six innings of Thursday's 9-3 win San Diego.

In his previous 10 starts, Washburn had a 3.75 ERA and six quality starts, but received fewer than three runs of support per nine innings and went 0-5.

"The one thing about him is he's going to give you an honest day's work every time he goes out there," Wakamatsu told the Mariners' official Web site. "And he did it again (Thursday). It's nice to give him some run support, finally."

Eleven of Washburn's 12 outings against the Yankees have been quality starts, and despite a 2.56 ERA against New York he has a 5-5 record. Melky Cabrera, who delivered the go-ahead double Tuesday, is 0 for 13 against Washburn, while Robinson Cano and Hideki Matsui are both 2 for 14 (.143).

Rodriguez may be the Yankees' best hope against the southpaw. The former Mariner is 15 for 47 (.319) with six home runs off Washburn.