Mark Texieira broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning with a solo home run that gave the New York Yankees the lead. The Yankees (50-41) held on to defeat the Seattle Mariners (42-50) 2-1 Sunday afternoon to win the series in Yankee Stadium. 

With two outs in the bottom of the eighth and the score tied at 1, Teixeira launched a 98-mph fastball from Seattle's Fernando Rodney into the right-field bleachers for the eventual game-winning home run.

With his blast (23), Teixeira surpassed his 22-home runs and 62-RBI totals from last season, in which he played in 123 games. Today's was his 85th game of 2015. He was 3 for 4 on the day, raising his average to .242, which is 26 points higher than last year's final average.

The game featured a pitchers' duel between King Felix Hernandez and CC Sabathia; it remained scoreless through the first 4 1/3 innings. Seattle then took a 1-0 lead when former Yankee farmhands Austin Jackson and Jesus Montero combined for a run; Jackson singled home Montero. 

Fresh off the disabled list, Carlos Beltran singled home Brett Gardner with the tying run in the bottom of the sixth. 

Dellin Betances (W: 6-2, 1.47 ERA) pitched a scoreless eighth inning to pick up the win despite walking two Mariners. Andrew Miller (S: 20, 1.44) pitched a perfect ninth, striking out two, to notch the save.

Sabathia worked six innings, allowing just one run on six hits. He walked one and struck out seven. This is the type of performance the Yankees will need from him from here on and into the postseason.

Rodney (L: 2-4, 5.59) had to keep his arrows quivered as he served up Teixeira's home run to suffer the loss. He lasted 2/3 of an inning, surrendering one run on one hit. King Felix pitched six innings of one-run ball, walking three and striking out five.

On Monday, the Mariners continue their road trip by beginning a four-game set at the Detroit Tigers. The Yankees get Monday off and then host the division-rival Baltimore Orioles beginning Tuesday. Baltimore is in second place and trails the Yankees by four games.