The Gary Sanchez Show rolled along Monday night.
Advertisement
The Yankees, though, are a different story.
NY is 4-1 in their last five road games, 7-1 in their last eight games following a loss, and 12-3 in their last 15 after scoring two runs or less in their previous game while the Mariners are 7-1 in their last eight against a righty, 12-4 in their last 16 overall, and 20-8 in their last 28 home games.
But Sanchez is doing what he can to keep the Yankees alive.
Sanchez’s prowess at the plate wasn’t enough to overcome a bad start from Michael Pineda in his return to Safeco Field.
A year ago, in his only other appearance in Seattle since the trade, Pineda held the Mariners to two runs in six innings – striking out nine – to beat Felix Hernandez. And he was done in by the pen once again.
Martin, who started 2-and-0 on each of the first three hitters, got it to 2-and-1 against Sanchez before hanging a slider that the catcher sent over the wall in left for his seventh homer. Girardi then made a decision to bring in Anthony Swarzak to face Mike Zunino, who promptly homered to right, making it 6-5 Seattle. Cishek retired Sanchez and Castro while protecting a one-run lead in the eighth inning.
“It’s very tough when you can put on the board a couple of runs and get to hit two home runs and all that, but the bottom line is you don’t win the game”, Sanchez said through a translator.
Pineda’s straight, 3-and-0 fastball was punished by Seager over the center field fence, giving the Mariners (67-57) a 3-2 lead in the fourth.
“You win by the homer, you die by the homer”, Mariners manager Scott Servais said.
It was the 22nd homer given up by Pineda this season – a career-high. He spat on a slider in the dirt from right-hander Anthony Swarzak as if it were his least favorite vegetable being handed him.
Sanchez isn’t just hitting for power, either. Sanchez hit a solo shot in the first inning and a two-run job in the sixth.
But Pineda – and the bullpen – faltered against one of the teams the Yankees are chasing to make a run at the playoffs. Tommy Layne came on and got Adam Lind to pop out for the second out of the inning. In came Swarzak to face the righthanded- hitting Zunino.
The Yankees arrived in Seattle on Monday, four and a half games out of the second wild card spot.
After a Nelson Cruz homer provided a two-run cushion, Diaz worked around a shaky start to the ninth inning in closing out the victory for his 10th save in 10 chances.
And this time, not even Sanchez could bring them back.
Girardi said he intends to give Sanchez either Tuesday or Wednesday off, but he’s going to ride him down the stretch. Yes, I do. Do I think he could be a four hitter? I think that’s important, too.
Fans will see more, regardless of the schedule.
“I feel really good out there in the box, and the work I’ve been doing is getting good results, and it’s making me feel comfortable”, Sanchez said. He gets to go through the rotation, in a sense.
Advertisement
And don’t forget, his four at-bats or so a game may give the Yankees their only shot at winning.
