Zunino, Seager power Mariners to 7-5 win over Yankees
— -- SEATTLE -- Mike Zunino and Kyle Seager each hit a three-run homer and Nelson Cruz added a solo shot as the Seattle Mariners rallied to beat the New York Yankees 7-5 Monday night.
The Yankees got two homers apiece from rookie catcher Gary Sanchez and Starlin Castro -- all off starter Cody Martin -- but three of them were solo shots.
New York took a 5-3 lead in the sixth inning on a two-run shot by Sanchez, his eighth homer of the season and sixth in the last seven games, and Castro's second solo homer, his 17th.
Zunino, recalled from from Triple-A Tacoma on July 20, answered in the bottom half with his ninth home run -- off Anthony Swarzak (1-2) -- to put Seattle ahead 6-5. Cruz added a solo homer, his 32nd, in the eighth.
Nick Vincent (3-3) retired all three batters he faced to get the win. Rookie Edwin Diaz survived a shaky ninth, putting runners on second and third with one out before getting Mark Teixeira on a fly ball and Brett Gardner on a grounder to pick up his 10th save in 10 chances.
Seattle remained one game behind Baltimore for the second American Leauge wild card.
Robinson Cano singled to open the bottom of the sixth and Seager drew a one-out walk, chasing starter Michael Pineda. Left-hander Tommy Layne relieved and retired lefty-hitting Adam Lind. Right-hander Swarzak came on but gave up the homer into the right-field seats by Zunino on a 3-2 pitch.
Sanchez, named AL Player of the Week earlier in the day, had a solo homer in the first and Castro another in the second to give New York a 2-0 lead.
Seager's three-run homer put Seattle up 3-2 in the fourth. Seth Smith doubled and moved to third on Cano's single. Smith was then caught too far down the line on Cruz's high chopper and was tagged out trying to get back to third. Seager got the green light on a 3-0 pitch and hit his 24th homer over the center-field wall.
Mariners right fielder Shawn O'Malley, who came on as a defensive replacement in the seventh, had a sensational catch for the second out of that inning, making a long run into foul territory and reaching over the wall to snag Tyler Austin's fly ball, hanging on as he tumbled into the seats.
TRAINING ROOM:
Mariners: RHP Drew Storen (3-3, 5.77 ERA) was placed on the 15-day DL with right shoulder inflammation. Storen was 2-0 with a 4.35 ERA in 10 appearances with Seattle after being acquired from Toronto on July 26. ... OF Guillermo Heredia was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma. He hit .280 in a 12-game stint with Seattle before being sent down Aug. 9.
UP NEXT
Yankees: LHP CC Sabathia (7-10, 4.49 ERA) will start on extended five days' rest due to a day off Thursday. He is 2-6 with 6.78 ERA in his last 10 starts. Sabathia is 8-1 with a 2.16 ERA in 12 starts at Safeco Field.
Mariners: RHP Taijuan Walker, optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on Aug. 8, is expected to be recalled to make the start Tuesday, although no official announcement was made. Walker was 4-7 with a 4.10 ERA in 17 starts with Seattle.
