Alex Rodriguez's solo home run in the bottom of the seventh turned out the game winner as the first-place New York Yankees (49-40) defeated the Seattle Mariners (41-19) 4-3 Friday night in Yankee Stadium.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh and the score tied at 3, Rodriguez took a four-seam fastball from Seattle's Joe Beimel into the Yankees' bullpen in right center field to give the Yankees their 4-3 lead, which ended up the final score. 

Rodriguez also scored the tying run two innings earlier on Brian McCann's RBI single to make it a 3-3 game. A-Rod led off the fifth with a single and advanced to second on a walk to Mark Teixeira. He was 2 for 4 with two runs scored on the night. 

Rodriguez still has his critics, but he has silenced a few of them by producing a line of .281/.384/.525, 19 HR, 52 RBI, 50 R, and a 2.4 WAR in 83 games as the Yankees' primary designated hitter. At this stage of his career, the DH role has suited him very well.

The Yankees scored two more runs on Chris Young's solo home run (11) that opened the scoring in the second and Chase Headley's fourth-inning RBI single that gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead.

Kyle Seager provided all of the Mariners' offense with two home runs (video). His solo shot (13) in the top of the third tied the game at 1, and his two-run blast (14) in the fifth put the Mariners up 3-2. 

Masahiro Tanaka (W: 6-3, 3.65 ERA) has also silenced a few critics with his performance this year. On Friday, he pitched seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits -- two of them Seager's home runs -- while walking two and striking out seven. Tanaka has seven quality starts in 12 attempts.

The Yankees' bullpen duo of Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller each pitched a scoreless inning with Miller (S: 19) striking out former Yankee prospect Jesus Montero to end it.

Beimel (L: 0-1, 3.00) took the loss by serving up A-Rod's home run. Beimel lasted only 2/3 of an inning, allowing one run and one hit while striking out two. Mariners starter Mike Montgomery pitched six innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits and one home run (Young). He walked three and struck out nine.

On Saturday, Hisashi Iwawkuma (1-1, 5.22) faces Michael Pineda (9-5, 3.64). The first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. EDT.