Yankees 5 - 2 Mariners
Final
  for this game

Yanks play rubber match in Seattle without A-Rod

Jul 25, 2012 - 12:07 PM

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(Sports Network) - The New York Yankees will try to secure a series win in the finale of their three-game set in Seattle on Wednesday.

However, they will have to do so without the services of three-time American League MVP Alex Rodriguez, who broke his left hand after getting hit by a Felix Hernandez pitch in Tuesday's 4-2 loss at Safeco Field.

Rodriguez, who is hitting .274 with 15 homers and 44 RBI in 93 games, suffered a nondisplaced fracture and could miss up to eight weeks.

"He's upset," manager Joe Girardi said. "He wants to be out there. We're not going to have him and we're going to have to find a way."

Hernandez struggled at times on Tuesday, but fired 7 1/3 innings of two-run ball to outduel fellow countryman and childhood idol Freddy Garcia. He also fanned four, scattered four hits and walked three for Seattle, which has won six of its last nine games.

Tom Wilhemsen struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth to notch his 11th save of the year.

Garcia (4-4) retired the last 15 batters he saw, struck out eight and surrendered three runs on five hits for New York, which has dropped five of its last six.

After the game, though, all anyone wanted to talk about was Rodriguez. Eric Chavez, who had a similar injury and was sidelined eight weeks, will replace Rodriguez in the interim.

"Al (Rodriguez) is so important to our team. This is definitely going to hurt," Chavez said.

Hoping to end their seven-game road trip on a positive note, the Yankees turn to righty Ivan Nova, who was lost just once in his last 19 road starts, going 13-1 with a 3.12 ERA over the stretch.

Nova, who had a 12-game road winning streak stopped on July 3 against Tampa. was fortunate not to get a decision on Friday in Oakland, pitching in and out of trouble, as he allowed two runs and nine hits - five extra-base hits - in 6 2/3 innings in his team's 3-2 loss.

"I'm trying to leave my team close in the game as much as I can," said Nova, who is 10-4 on the year with a 4.10 ERA. "When I have men on base, that's the time. Me and Freddy (Garcia) were talking after I had a man on third with one out, he told me, 'Why don't you throw 94-95 earlier in the inning, to the first hitter in the inning? Why do you wait until you have men on base to throw hard?' That's something I have to think about, figure out why I do that."

Nova has faced the Mariners twice and has pitched to a 4.09 ERA against them without recording a decision.

Seattle, meanwhile, will counter with Japanese righty Hisahi Iwakuma, who is 1-2 with a 4.86 ERA. Iwakuma did not get a decision on Friday against the Rays, but pitched well, surrendering two runs and six hits in six innings. He also struck out seven and walked a batter in the 4-3 loss.

The Yanks took two of three from the Mariners earlier in the year.






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