SEATTLE — Brendan Ryan and Jason Bay both hit two-out, two-run singles in Seattle’s four-run fourth inning, Jeremy Bonderman pitched six sharp innings to win for the first time since 2010, and the Mariners beat the New York Yankees 4-1 on Friday night.
All of Seattle’s offence came in one stretch of the fourth inning when six straight batters reached base, capped by the clutch hits from Ryan and Bay off Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda. Seattle entered the night hitting .221 with runners in scoring position, but capitalized on the few chances they got against Kuroda.
The surprise was Bonderman’s effort, winning for the first time since Sept. 8, 2010 while still pitching for Detroit. He struggled to get through the first two innings, but shut down the Yankees from there.
The Yankees have scored in two of 18 innings to open the four-game series in Seattle. New York scored all six runs in the third inning on Thursday night then was shut out after the first on Friday.
Bonderman (1-1) appeared on his way to an early exit, needing 50 pitches to labour through the first two innings. He got out of the first allowing just one run on Travis Hafner’s ground out and was helped in the second by Vernon Wells’ baserunning mistake when he was picked off second after reaching on an error.
From there, Bonderman flashed back to his best days in Detroit. He retired 14 of the final 15 batters he faced with perfect innings in the third, fourth and sixth. The only baserunner Bonderman allowed after the second was Reid Brignac, who reached on a single in the fifth.
Bonderman was done after the sixth inning, giving up just three hits and striking out two. He threw 47 pitches over his final four innings. It was a satisfying rebound after Bonderman gave up three home runs and seven earned runs in his first start for Seattle in Minnesota last Sunday.
Yoervis Medina pitched the seventh and first two outs of the eighth before walking Brett Gardner. Seattle’s Charlie Furbush entered and struck out Robinson Cano looked on a 3-2 pitch. Tom Wilhelmsen gave up just his second hit to a right-handed batter when Kevin Youkilis lined a two-out double in the ninth, but finished off his 15th save.
Seattle’s rally against Kuroda (6-5) came with two outs and the bases empty. Michael Morse doubled, but it was the consecutive walks to Nick Franklin and Kelly Shoppach that hurt Kuroda. Ryan hit a liner into right field that fell in front of Ichiro Suzuki to score Morse and Franklin. Endy Chavez followed with a roller back up the middle that hit second base and Brignac behind the bag couldn’t handle the deflection. Bay then lined a single into left to score Shoppach and Ryan, and cap the Mariners big inning.
Kuroda lost for the third time in four starts, despite pitching into the seventh. He gave up eight hits and allowed at least one baserunner in six of seven innings. Kuroda has allowed eight hits in each of his last three losses.
NOTES: New York closer Mariano Rivera continued his farewell tour on Friday by meeting with high school and college students participating in the Mariners "Fielders Group" program that gives training for youth interested in a career in sports. Rivera spoke with the group of 11 students for about 30 minutes and was late getting out to batting practice. … Yankees RHP Michael Pineda will begin a rehab assignment at Class-A Tampa on Saturday. Pineda was acquired from Seattle before the 2012 season, but has yet to pitch for the Yankees due to injury. … Seattle’s Kyle Seager extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the seventh.
