Former New York Yankees and current Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano knows all about hitting in Yankee Stadium, and he remembered just what to do as he belted a pair of two-run homers to power Seattle (42-29) past the Yankees (49-41) 4-3 Saturday afternoon.
Each of Cano's home runs put the Mariners up by two runs. Cano hit the first of them (7) over the center-field wall with one out in the top of the first to put Seattle up 2-0 (video). With the score tied at 2 in the sixth, Cano found the second deck down the right-field line (8) as he did many times while wearing a Yankees uniform (video). That shot made the score 4-2. Cano hit both home runs off Yankee starter Michael Pineda.
Brian McCann pulled the Yankees even in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run blast (15) of his own. The Yankees managed to threaten in the ninth, scoring once on Garrett Jones's RBI groundout, but they left Chris Young stranded at second to end the game.
Pineda (L: 9-69, 3.77) pitched much better than it appears on paper. He allowed four runs on six hits, including two home runs. However, he scattered the remaining hits, but he threw 105 pitches in six innings.
Hisashi Iwakuma (W: 2-1, 4.89) was very solid in his 5 2/3 innings. He allowed two runs on five hits, including McCann's home run. He did not walk anyone, and he struck out five, fanning Alex Rodriguez three times. Five relievers combined for 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball with Carson Smith (S: 7) getting into and out of trouble in the ninth. Smith gave up a run but then got Didi Gregorius to ground out and leave Young at second base.
The Yankees lost a game in the A.L. East to the Tampa Bay Rays, who defeated the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees now lead by 3.5 games over the Rays.
On Sunday, Seattle's King Felix Hernandez (11-5, 2.84) sqaures off against New York's CC Sabathia (4-8, 5.47) in the rubber game of the three-game set. The game begins at 1:05 p.m. EDT.