NEW YORK, May 11 (UPI) -- Raul Ibanez put New York in front with a three-run homer in the sixth inning Friday, sending the Yankees to a 6-2 victory over Seattle.
The Yankees won for the fourth time in five games and handed the Mariners their ninth setback in their last 13 outings.
It was the opener of a 10-game Seattle road trip that will take the Mariners to New York, Boston, Cleveland and Colorado.
Seattle took a 2-1 lead in the sixth on a solo homer by Jesus Montero, but the Yankees responded in the bottom half of the inning against Felix Hernandez (3-2), when Alex Rodriguez opened the inning with a walk and moved to second on a base hit by Robinson Cano. Rodriguez was erased at third on a fielder's choice grounder from Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher struck out, giving Seattle a chance to get out of the inning but Ibanez homered to right on the first pitch from Hernandez.
Andruw Jones added a two-run blast in the eighth for the Yankees.
Starter Hiroki Kuroda (3-4) allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings to get the win.
