Bombs Aplenty in the Bronx
The Headline: home runs doom Felix Hernandez, as the batters struggle at the plate for the Seattle Mariners.
Seattle Mariners 2, New York Yankees 6
When: 7:05 ET, Friday, May 11, 2012
Where: Yankee Stadium, New York
Temperature: 68
Umpires: Home — Gary Darling, 1B — Chris Conroy, 2B — Scott Barry, 3B — Jerry Meals
Attendance: 37,226
Love ‘em
1. Ackley Bomb
Dustin Ackley hit a home run in the first game of the season, and things were good. Unfortunately, he hasn’t hit one since.
Ackley broke that long streak tonight. The Mariners second baseman started the game with a solo shot to left off Yankee starter Hiroki Kuroda. That hit, Ackley’s lone hit of the game, also kept his 7-game hit streak alive.
2. Good Night for Smoak
Justin Smoak finally showed signs of life at the plate tonight. Seattle’s first baseman has been in a prolonged slump, hitting just .100 in the month of May.
Tonight, Smoak went 3-4 at the plate. None of those hits provided run support for Seattle, but when you’re in a slump that bad you take your hits where you can.
3. Montero Making Strides
Jesus Montero looked strong at the plate tonight. It’s easy to buckle under the pressure of playing the team that traded you, but the 22-year old responded well.
Montero took Kuroda deep in the 6th for a solo shot, and Seattle’s second run. The homer was Montero’s fifth on the season, and the second that he’s managed to pull.
Hate ‘em
1. Not Adapting to the Road
The Mariners did not respond well to road play tonight. The pitching staff did limit their flyballs, but still managed to give up two huge home runs.
It's easy for Seattle fans to feel jaded by Raul Ibanez. - (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
They came to the Bronx unable to limit runs or score them. That will kill you against the Yankees at home.
2. Struggling Carp
The M’s left fielder has been abysmal since his return. Mike Carp is hitting a mere .130/.200/.304 on the season with 1 home run.
Tonight, Carp was 0-3 at the plate, leaving four men on base. He was eventually relieved by a pinch hitting Casper Wells in the 9th.
3. Ibanez’s Night
It’s easy for Seattle fans to feel jaded by Raul Ibanez. The team sunk a lot of money into him, and though his production was good he never carried the team like expected.
Well, he certainly carried the Yankees tonight. The now 39-year old was 1-4 tonight, but that 1 hit was a huge 3-run home run in the 6th inning.
After that, the New York never looked back.
Here’s the BOXSCORE | and Our Managing Editor “Q” has his RECAP
NoteBook
Hernandez had won his three previous starts at the new Yankee Stadium. Ibanez has hit in five straight games and Cano has nine hits in his last 12 at-bats.
Ackley extended his hitting streak to seven games and ended a 13-game RBI drought with his second homer of the year – and first on American soil.
His other blast came in the season opener in Japan.
The Yankees activated 3B Eric Chavez from the 15-day disabled list and demoted IF Eduardo Nunez to Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes-Barre on Friday. The moves came one day after Nunez made two errors in a game against Tampa Bay.
Chavez, who started at DH Friday, had been sidelined with concussion symptoms.
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