E-Boland and the Bombers

Good evening Yankees enthusiasts, I'm Chris Mascaro and I'll be bringing you all of tonight's live action, as the Yankees (74-66) take on the Mariners (55-85) in the second game of a three-game set.

The Yankees come into tonight's matchup 10.5 games behind the Rays in he AL East and, more importantly, 8.5 games in back of Boston for the wild card. (The Red Sox are currently losing in Texas ... I'll keep everyone updated on that one throughout the evening.)

Last night was a tough one for the Yankees' offense, as Brandon Morrow — a 2006 first-round pick making his first career start — nearly no-hit the "Bombers." It was the Yanks' first loss against the Mariners this season (in seven games).

The Yankees had a long flight into Seattle after Thursday's night game in Tampa, but did not use that as an excuse, simply saying that Morrow had great stuff.

Regardless, the Yankees will need to play near-perfect baseball (and Boston to be equally bad) in the next 20 games for any shot at their 14th straight postseason trip. Put it this way, their chances of making the playoffs are 0.5% and they are tied for third place with the Blue Jays.

Tonight the Yanks will face lefty Ryan Rowland Smith (4-2, 3.56 ERA), another young Mariner getting a chance to start. This will be the eighth career start for the 25-year old, who is 2-1 with a 1.77 ERA in his last three outings, including 6 1/3 inning of one-run ball in Cleveland last Sunday. Rowland-Smith has faced the Yankees three times this season (all as a reliever) and has given up two runs in 3 2/3 IP. Here are their (limited) career numbers against the lefty. He also wears these cool glasses.

Sidney Ponson (7-5, 5.13) will take the hill for the Yanks. He is 0-3 with an 8.75 ERA in his last five starts, including a three-inning disaster in Detroit on Monday, where he gave up six earned runs on nine hits. Here are the Mariners' numbers off Ponson, including Ichiro's .556 (10 for 18) average.

And finally, here are tonight's lineups:

Yankees
1. Damon, LF
2. Jeter, SS
3. Abreu, LF
4. A. Rodriguez
5. Giambi, 1B
6. Nady, LF
7. Matsui, DH
8. Cano, 2B
9. I. Rodriguez, C
Rasner, RHP

Mariners
1. Ichiro, RF
2. Reed, CF
3. Beltre, 3B
4. Ibanez, LF
5. Lopez, DH
6. LaHair, 1B
7. Betancourt, SS
8. Johnson, C
9. Valbuena, 2B
Rowland-Smith, LHP

Plenty more to talk about this evening, so let's get the conversation going in the chat box below! Remember to vote on the poll question as well!

I'll be back after each half-inning to give updates.

We're about 10 minutes from baseball on YES!

Top of the 1st: Damon led off the game with a walk, but Jeter grounded into a 6-4-3 double play (the 22nd time this year he's done that — a new career high).

Abreu got the Yankees on the board with a solo shot to centerfield to give New York an early 1-0 lead. It was his 16th homer and 85th RBI of the season.

A-Rod flew out to deep left to end the inning.

Bottom of the 1st: A 1-2-3 inning for Ponson with some nice defense in the infield. Ichiro and Beltre both grounded back to the mound, while Reed knocked one to second (nifty little play by Cano).

Ponson showed some nimbleness as well ... haha. He came off the mound to grab Ichiro's grounder and snagged Beltre's shot back at him. He needed just seven pitches to get through the inning. A nice start for the big fella.

Top of the 2nd: Giambi got an infield single on a swinging bunt down the third-base line, but for the second straight inning the Yanks grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Nady was the perpetrator this time.

Matsui flew a double down the left-field line, but Cano grounded out to second to end the inning.

Bottom of the 2nd: Could a good start for Ponson be brewing? He threw his second straight 1-2-3 inning, with ground outs by Ibanez and Lopez to second, followed by a swinging strikeout of LaHair.

Ponson has thrown 17 pitches.

Top of the 3rd: I-Rod flied to center and Damon grounded to first before Jeter, Abreu and A-Rod walked. But Giambi grounded to second to end the inning.

Rowland-Smith has thrown 48 pitches.

Bottom of the 3rd: Betancourt led off the inning with a single to left (to break up Ponson's no-hitter), and then the Yankees caught him in a rundown when he left too early in an attempt to steal second. But Ponson, who grazed Betancourt during the pickle, was called for interference and Betancourt was awarded second base.

Johnson chopped out to short (moving Betancourt to third). Then Valbuena ripped one to short, but Jeter made a nice leaping grab with the infield in for the second out. Ichiro dribbled one to second, which Cano charged and fired to first to end the inning.

Top of the 4th: After Nady grounded out to short, Matsui singled to right. But Cano flied out to center and I-Rod popped out to short.

Rowland-Smith is at 60 pitches.

Bottom of the 4th: Reed doubled to left, but Beltre grounded to third. Ibanez walked, but Lopez grounded into a 5-3 double play to end the inning.

Ponson is at 40 pitches.

Top of the 5th: A 1-2-3 inning for Rowland-Smith, as Damon grounded out to third, Jeter did the same to second and Abreu went back to the mound.

Bottom of the 5th: Ponson's third 1-2-3 inning, as LaHair flied to left, Betancourt grounded to short and Johnson grounded to third.

Ponson has cruised by with 46 pitches through five innings.

Top of the 6th: After A-Rod flied to left, Giambi lifted a homer to the first row in right-centerfield to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead. It was Giambi's 29th homer and 88th RBI of the season.

Nady doubled and moved to third on Matsui's ground out to third, but Cano struck out swinging to end the frame.

Bottom of the 6th: After two quick outs (ground outs by Valbuena and Ichiro), Reed and Beltre singled, setting the table for Ibanez, who homered to left-center to give the Mariners a 3-2 lead. He now has 23 homers and 100 RBIs.

Lopez flew out to left, but the damage was done.

Top of the 7th: After I-Rod singled to right, Damon grounded into a force. That prompted manager Jim Riggleman to replace Rowland-Smith with righty Sean Green (4-4, 3.97).

Rowland-Smith had a nice outing, pitching 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits (including solo homers by Abreu and Giambi) and four walks with one strikeout. He threw 88 pitches.

Damon stole second and third during Jeter's at-bat. Jeter inevitably walked, prompting Riggleman to bring in lefty Justin Thomas (0-0, 0.00), who served up a two-run triple to Abreu, giving the Yankees a 4-3 lead.

That was all for Thomas, as Riggleman brought in righty Roy Corcoran (4-0, 3.17), who plunked A-Rod in the arm before Giambi hit a ground-rule double to deep centerfield to give the Yankees a 5-3 lead.

Nady grounded to third with the infield in, but A-Rod was able to score from third to put the Yanks up 6-3. Matsui singled up the middle (his third hit of the game) to score Giambi and give the Yankees a 7-3 lead. Cano grounded to second to end the five-run inning.

*Quick note: Abreu is 2 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs, and Giambi is 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs.

Bottom of the 7th: Brian Bruney (2-0, 2.33) came on in relief of Ponson, who pitched six innings of three-run ball (all the runs coming on a homer by Ibanez). Ponson allowed five hits and a walk with one strikeout. It was an easy night for the hurler, as he only threw 65 pitches.

Bruney threw a 1-2-3 inning with a swinging strikeout of LaHair, a fly out to center by Betancourt and a ground out to second from Johnson.

Top of the 8th: Righty Randy Messenger (0-0, 7.71) came on in relief for the Mariners. He struck out I-Rod swinging and got Damon to fly out to center before Jeter singled to left (leaving him two behind The Babe on the Yankees' career hit list).

Abreu hit a soft grounder to second and reached on an infield single (Jeter moved to third), but A-Rod lined out to deep center to end the inning.

Bottom of the 8th: Joba Chamberlain (4-3, 2.57) came on in relief of Bruney and got Valbuena to fly to left and Ichiro to strike out swinging (on some high heat) before Reed reached on an infield single (his third hit of the night) and Beltre lined a single to right.

Then Ibanez came through with a two-out single to center to score Reed and cut the lead to 7-4.

Joe Girardi relieved Chamberlain of his duties and brought in Mariano Rivera (5-5, 1.46), who got Lopez to ground out to third (breaking his bat in the process) to end the inning.

Top of the 9th: Lefty Cesar Jimenez (0-2, 3.86) became the sixth Mariner pitcher tonight and tossed a 1-2-3 inning, as Giambi grounded to first, Nady flew out to center and Matsui struck out looking.

Bottom of the 9th: Rivera throws a 1-2-3 inning, as pinch-hitter Tug Hulett grounded out to second, Betancourt did the same to short and old friend Miguel Cairo (pinch-hitting for Johnson) struck out swinging.

That's all for tonight's game folks, Yankees win 7-4.
Yankees: 76-66
Mariners: 55-86

WP--Ponson (8-5)
LP--Green (4-5)
SV--Rivera (33)

HR: Yankees 2 (Abreu, 16; Giambi, 29); Mariners 1 (Ibanez, 23)

Here are your three stars for tonight:
1. Abreu: 3 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs
2. Giambi: 3 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs
3. Matsui: 3 for 5 with an RBI

And because I'm in a giving mood, a fourth star:
4. Ponson: 6 IP, three runs (the Ibanez homer), five hits, one walk and one strikeout

*Two quick notes before I go: first, the Red Sox lost in Texas tonight, 15-8, so the lead in the wild card is 7.5 games. Second (and less importantly), Ichiro came in batting over .500 against Ponson (see above), but went 0 for 3 against him tonight.

As always it was my honor and pleasure to bring you all of tonight's live game action. I'll see ya'll real soon. Goodnight!