Happ, Yankees hold Mariners to 2 hits in 3-1 victory
NEW YORK (AP) — J.A. Happ and four relievers combined on a two-hitter, Cameron Maybin contributed with his bat and glove, and the New York Yankees beat the Seattle Mariners 3-1 Thursday night.
The Yankees won for the fourth time in five games and headed to Tampa Bay to play the AL East-leading Rays for the first time this year.
Domingo Santana homered with two outs in the ninth inning for Seattle, which has dropped nine of 11. The Mariners also lost second baseman Dee Gordon, who exited early after being hit around the right wrist by Happ's pitch.
Mariners slugger Edwin Encarnacion shifted from first base to second in the eighth. Playing the position for the first time in his career, Encarnacion hurt his left wrist diving for DJ LeMahieu's leadoff grounder. Checked by a trainer, he stayed in the game.
Maybin flared a two-out RBI double in the second and made a sliding catch on Ryon Healy's fly to right to begin the seventh.
Gio Urshela added a two-run single in the eighth, an inning after entering for defense.
Happ (2-3) gave up just one hit, a single by Tom Murphy in the fifth, and struck out seven. The lefty had been hurt by home runs this year, particularly in the Bronx, but shut down the club that leads the majors in long balls.
Dylan Moore, who replaced Gordon, drew a leadoff walk in the sixth — curiously, he bluffed a bunt on a 3-2 pitch that was borderline high. That finished Happ and he chirped at plate umpire Ed Hickox as he walked off, showing how Moore squared around.
Moore later stole second and continued to third on a throwing error by catcher Gary Sanchez, but reliever Adam Ottavino escaped by getting Santana to ground into a double play.
Tommy Kahnle and Zack Britton each threw a scoreless inning and Chapman got his eighth save in nine chances.
Mike Leake (2-4) allowed six hits in eight effective innings. He walked none and struck out two.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mariners: Moore took over at 2B after Gordon left. Jay Bruce pinch-hit for Moore in the eighth and stayed in to play 1B, moving Encarnacion to 2B. The 36-year-old Encarnacion was a 3B for the first part of his career.
Yankees: OF Aaron Hicks (back strain) is expected to rejoin the Yankees on Monday. He'll play Triple-A rehab games this weekend. ... SS Didi Gregorius plans on starting live batting practice next week and remains on target to DH in an extended spring training game around May 20. "I'm feeling really good," he said in Florida. "It's a slow process. Can't wait to get going."
UP NEXT
Mariners: Manager Scott Servais will miss the first two games of Seattle's weekend series in Boston to attend his daughter's college graduation. RHP Erik Swanson (1-3, 4.94 ERA) starts the opener at Fenway Park.
Yankees: RHP Domingo German (6-1, 2.35) faces Rays RHP Tyler Glasnow (6-0, 1.47) — they're among the pitchers tied for the major league lead in wins. The Yankees take a depleted lineup into Tropicana Field. Assessing the matchup, manager Aaron Boone said, "I don't really see it as where we stack up."
