Cabrera hits key double, Yanks win 6th straight
Wednesday, July 1, 2009 10:58 AM PDT
NEW YORK (AP) — Mariano Rivera walked down off the mound, took a few more steps toward the plate and began the evening with a nice, soft toss.
He ended it in much more familiar fashion, with a hard fastball for strike three.
Rivera started what he finished and the New York Yankees, helped by Melky Cabrera’s go-ahead double in the eighth inning, beat the Seattle Mariners 8-5 Tuesday night for their sixth straight win.
In a sight rarely seen in baseball, an active player threw out the ceremonial first ball. Rivera was honored for earning his 500th career save Sunday, and his teammates applauded while the Mariners came to the top step of the dugout to pay their respects.
‘‘As soon as I got here they told me,’’ Rivera said. ‘‘I think everybody had fun with that.’’
Said Yankees manager Joe Girardi: ‘‘I told him he should throw it out left-handed.’’
Once Cabrera’s hit put the Yankees ahead, Rivera went to work. He pitched a perfect ninth, striking out Franklin Gutierrez for his 19th save in 20 chances.
Alex Rodriguez hit his 565th career homer and Cabrera drove in three runs. The Yankees won their ninth in a row at home over Seattle, a streak dating to 2007.
Major league batting leader Ichiro Suzuki got two hits and stole three bases for the Mariners.
Cabrera, with a knack for key hits late in games, lined an RBI double off Sean White (2-1). Hideki Matsui began the eighth with a double, Nick Swisher bunted for a single and Cabrera delivered again.
‘‘He’s thrived in that situation. He’s had a lot of wins for us,’’ Girardi said.
The Yankees got three hits on three straight pitches from White.
Brian Bruney (3-0) got the win despite giving up two runs in the eighth that made it 5-all. Kenji Johjima hit an RBI single and Russell Branyan had a bases-loaded sacrifice fly.
Rodriguez launched his 12th homer of the season in the seventh for a 5-3 lead.
