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Yankees-Mariners Preview

Aug 13, 2009 - 7:03 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

New York (70-43) at Seattle (59-54), 10:10 p.m. EDT

Staying healthy has helped the New York Yankees take a comfortable lead in the AL East, but they'll possibly start this 10-game road trip without three star players.

New York opens a four-game series against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, with Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada all possibly having to sit out.

The Yankees (71-43) beat Toronto 4-3 in 11 innings Wednesday after Robinson Cano hit a game-ending RBI single. New York took two of three in the series to improve to a major league-best 20-6 since the All-Star break. The Yankees are 5 1/2 games ahead of Boston in the division.

The only thing to mar New York's 6-1 homestand was concerns about the health of several star players. Jeter left Wednesday's game after the second inning with a bruised right foot while Rodriguez lost feeling in his left hand after being hit by a pitch in the 11th. Posada, meanwhile, had a swollen right hand after taking a foul ball off it.

"My hand went numb," Rodriguez told the Yankees' official Web site. "As long as I've been wearing the pad, I've never had that type of pain before."

X-rays on Jeter and Rodriguez, who remained in the game and went on to score the winning run, were both negative. Rodriguez was scheduled to have Friday off anyway, but now Jeter and Posada may also sit.

"I was hoping it'd be all right," said Jeter, who was replaced by Ramiro Pena. "I mean, it always hurts when you get hit. You just hope that it wears off after a while."

Their injuries came in a game in which closer Mariano Rivera was unavailable after he woke up with stiffness in his shoulder. Manager Joe Girardi said, though, he'd be surprised if Rivera isn't ready to pitch Thursday.

New York is looking to get this road trip, which also includes visits to Oakland and Boston, off to a good start. The Yankees have lost two of three at Seattle in each of the previous three years but won two of three at home over the Mariners earlier this season.

Seattle (60-54) is coming off a 1-0, 14-inning victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. Ken Griffey Jr. hit a pinch-hit, RBI single with two outs in the 14th as the Mariners won two of three in the series.

They've won six of nine and have taken the first two series in this 10-game homestand, also winning two of three from Tampa Bay. Seattle trails the Red Sox by 5 1/2 games for the wild card.

New York's CC Sabathia (12-7, 3.76 ERA) will try to win his third straight start when he takes the mound. He pitched 7 2-3 innings against Boston on Saturday, allowing two hits while striking out a season-high nine in the 5-0 victory.

Sabathia is 4-4 with a 3.42 ERA against the Mariners with all four wins coming at Safeco Field. He has a 2.83 ERA in Seattle, where he hasn't started since 2006. The left-hander gave up six runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings of an 8-4 loss to Seattle on July 2.

The Mariners will counter with Ian Snell (0-0, 6.14), who is hoping for a better start at Safeco Field than his first one with the home team. Snell went 1 1-3 innings against Tampa Bay on Saturday, allowing three runs and two hits while walking six in a 10-4 loss.

Snell is making his first start against the Yankees.