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Didi Gregorius homers twice as New York Yankees topple Seattle Mariners

By Gene Warnick, The Sports Xchange
New York Yankees batter Didi Gregorius watches the ball off his bat. File photo by Ray Stubblebine/UPI
New York Yankees batter Didi Gregorius watches the ball off his bat. File photo by Ray Stubblebine/UPI | License Photo

SEATTLE -- When the New York Yankees made a trade last week to shore up their bullpen, this is what they had in mind.

Didi Gregorius hit two home runs and New York's relief corps was dominant as the Yankees defeated the Seattle Mariners 6-4 on Sunday afternoon at Safeco Field.

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The Yankees (51-46) won three of the four games in the series to move into sole possession of the American League's top wild-card spot.

Chad Green (1-0), Dellin Betances and David Robertson combined for 4 1/3 innings of perfect relief before turning it over to closer Aroldis Chapman.

"Well, I like the moves that we've made," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Our bullpen is getting back on track and I think our bullpen is much deeper."

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Seattle's Nelson Cruz led off the bottom of the ninth with a line drive off Chapman's right knee. The ball bounced high in the air toward shortstop Gregorius, who leaped and tried to make a throw to first in one motion, but Cruz reached on an infield single.

Cruz, who has been hobbled by hamstring and calf problems for the past several weeks, was replaced by pinch-runner Taylor Motter.

Without even throwing a pitch to the next batter, Chapman picked off Motter.

"That was a mental mistake," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "Physical mistakes will happen, but when you're in that role you've got to be mentally sharp. There was no need to get picked off there, he was not the tying run."

That changed the complexion of the inning.

Kyle Seager doubled off the center-field wall and moved to third on a passed ball. But Chapman got Mitch Haniger to pop out to second base and struck out Ben Gamel to earn his 11th save.

Yankees rookie left-hander Caleb Smith, making his first major league start, allowed only one baserunner through the first three innings but couldn't make it out of the fourth, when Seattle scored all four of its runs.

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With the Mariners trailing 3-0, singles by Danny Valencia and Robinson Cano and a walk to Cruz loaded the bases.

It looked like Smith might get out of the jam when he struck out Seager on a 3-2 changeup and got Haniger to foul out to shallow right field, but Gamel hit a soft liner into right for a two-run single and Guillermo Heredia followed with a two-run double into left-center field, making it 4-3 and signaling the end for Smith.

In 3 2/3 innings, Smith allowed four runs on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

Green, who would seem to be the reliever most overshadowed by last Tuesday's acquisition of Robertson and Tommy Kahnle from the Chicago White Sox, pitched the next 2 1/3 innings, striking out three.

"He's fantastic. He could easily be pitching at the back end of the bullpen," Yankees first baseman Chase Headley, who went 2-for-3 with two doubles, said of Green. "He's the type of weapon you can use in multiple innings or a shutdown inning. He's been special for us."

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New York regained the lead with three runs in the sixth and could have had more, but left the bases loaded.

With one out, former Yankees left-hander James Pazos (2-3) walked Headley and Todd Frazier before pinch hitter Ronald Torreyes singled to right, loading the bases.

Brett Gardner hit a sinking liner down the left-field line that Gamel made a diving attempt on but couldn't quite reach. Gamel, another former Yankee, did knock the ball down, allowing only one run to score to tie it at 4-4.

Right-hander Tony Zych was summoned to face rookie Clint Frazier, who dumped a two-run double down the left-field line to give the Yankees the lead.

"When he hits the baseball he impacts it, and a lot of times good things are going to happen," said Girardi of Frazier. "They're going to be doubles, home runs, and he's got a pretty good approach, a patient approach. He's had some big hits for us."

Zych walked Aaron Judge intentionally to reload the bases, but got Gary Sanchez to pop out to second and Matt Holliday to ground out to end the inning.

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The Yankees got off to a good start as Gardner led off the game with a home run, his 17th, and Gregorius went deep in the second and fourth innings, all off Seattle right-hander Yovani Gallardo.

Girardi was asked if Gregorius' season -- he is batting 304 with 14 home runs and 44 RBIs -- has been overlooked because of all the commotion surrounding rookie sensation Judge, who is leading the majors with 32 homers.

"Yeah, probably," Girardi said. "Probably because of the season Judge has had, a lot of our guys' seasons have been overlooked to this point.

"I understand how that happens, but yeah, Didi has been big. He hadn't had too much success against Gallardo (1-for-16) going into it. I still felt it was a good matchup for him and it turned out to be."

Gallardo, who was making his first start since June 17 after earning his way back into the rotation with a successful stint as a long reliever, went five innings, giving up the three runs on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts.

"Outside of the two mistakes to Gregorius, I'm not going to beat myself over the second pitch of the game (that Gardner hit out)," Gallardo said.

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NOTES: Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson was in attendance, sitting in the front row near the New York dugout. ... The Yankees made a series of roster moves before the game: 2B Starlin Castro was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring; INF/OF Tyler Wade was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre; and 1B Ji-Man Choi was outrighted to the RailRiders. The Yankees also made a trade, acquiring minor league 1B Ryan McBroom from Toronto for INF/OF Rob Refsnyder. McBroom will be assigned to Double-A Trenton. ... The Yankees will be off Monday before playing host to the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday in the opener of a two-game series. The Mariners will continue their 10-game homestand Monday when they open a three-game series against Boston. LHP James Paxton (9-3, 3.05 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound for Seattle, facing Red Sox LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (4-2, 3.66).

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