05/13/2007 9:15 PM ET
Pettitte strong, but Yanks fall quietly
Jeter drives in only run as Mariners secure series victory
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
SEATTLE -- The promise of Roger Clemens lies in the future, with the Hall of
Fame right-hander due to report to the Yankees' Legends Field complex and
start his personal clock toward rejoining the Major Leagues this week.
While they wait, the Yankees are forced to handle the reality of their
present, hoping that Clemens' reception can be as more of a trusted
contributor than as something of a savior.
Andy Pettitte continued to offer strong pitching on Sunday, working into the
eighth inning, but his offensive support was muffled. The Yankees dropped a
2-1 decision to the Mariners, the final game of a three-game series.
With the Yankees' loss and a stunning Red Sox comeback at Fenway Park, the
Yankees dropped to eight games behind first-place Boston in the American
League East. The latest challenge comes at a time when 16 of the team's next
22 games will be played on the road.
"I think this next month is really important," said center fielder Johnny
Damon. "We know we get Rocket back in three weeks, but when we get him back,
we need to be within five [games]. We can't keep losing ground."
Numerous members of the Yankees' roster pledged to wield pink bats on Sunday
in honor of Mother's Day and breast cancer awareness, but many switched to
more familiar lumber following their first plate appearance.
Perhaps that was because Seattle left-hander Horacio Ramirez seemed to have
no problem whittling through his initial turn, retiring the first 10 batters
before offering a fourth-inning walk to Bobby Abreu.
Ramirez did not allow a hit until Alex Rodriguez's single in that inning, and
he limited New York to a run and five hits over 6 1/3 innings.
Meanwhile, the Mariners opened with third-inning scoring against Pettitte,
who was searching for his first consecutive victories of the season. More
important in Pettitte's mind was securing the Yankees' second victory of the
Seattle weekend, a mission that ultimately went unattended.
"When you don't win series, it's frustrating," Pettitte said. "This was a
game that we feel like probably we could have won."
Ichiro Suzuki led off the third inning with a single and moved to third base
when Rodriguez committed a throwing error on Jose Vidro's grounder, firing
the throw high out of the reach of first baseman Josh Phelps. Suzuki came
home on a Raul Ibanez single.
Seattle extended the advantage with another run in the fourth inning. Jose
Guillen led off with a double and, after a walk, moved to third base on a
bunt single by Yuniesky Betancourt, loading the bases. Jose Lopez smacked a
sacrifice fly to left field, but Pettitte induced a fielder's choice and a
groundout to escape further damage.
"I made a few mistakes that fourth inning, on some balls I left in the middle
of the plate," Pettitte said. "It cost me the game."
Pettitte worked 7 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and nine hits. He walked one
and struck out two before yielding to reliever Brian Bruney in the eighth
inning, but he again left on the hard-luck side, despite gritty escape work
that prevented the game from getting out of hand.
"Andy, I give him a lot of credit -- he minimized damage," Torre said. "You
come away bases loaded, nobody out and give up only one more run [in the
fourth inning]. We had everything going in our direction, basically."
The Yankees cut the deficit to one run in the sixth inning, breaking through
against Ramirez. Damon stole second after a one-out single and came home to
score on Derek Jeter's two-out hit to left.
It was in those late innings that Damon said he glanced up at the scoreboard
at Safeco Field, catching sight of the final score posted from Boston. A
six-run rally had lifted the Red Sox to a 6-5 victory, and Damon's first
inclination was to wonder if it had been a typographical error.
Damon's second reaction, he said, was to marvel and wonder about the Yankees'
current standing.
"Granted, if the Red Sox keep playing the way they are, no one's going to
catch them," Damon said.
Further opportunities would be presented for New York, but the Mariners'
hard-throwing bullpen seemed able to flush out the chances.
The Yankees had two on and one out in the seventh inning, but Chris Reitsma
got pinch-hitter Doug Mientkiewicz to chop into an inning-ending double play;
one inning later, with the go-ahead run on first base, Brandon Morrow reared
back and blew a fastball by Rodriguez to end the inning.
"Those guys come in throwing that kind of stuff from the bullpen, you're just
hoping you can sneak a run or two by," Rodriguez said. "That's the moment you
want to be in. He came right after me. Give him credit."
Even against closer J.J. Putz in the ninth, the Yankees put up a fight, as
Hideki Matsui ripped a one-out double to the gap in right-center field. But
Putz bore down and struck out both Posada and Mientkiewicz to end the game,
sending the Yankees to their seventh loss in nine one-run games this season.
"We just need to get the swagger back, so to speak," Torre said, "and start
playing -- and winning -- more regularly."
In a subdued visitors' clubhouse after the game, the Yankees dressed in their
travel attire for a trip to Chicago, hoping that a day of respite might wash
away the ills of their most recent defeat.
The uncertainty of the road ahead surely trumped the harsh finality of the
present.
"You can't change anything that's happened," Jeter said. "All you can do is
move one day at a time. We'd like to have a better record, but we don't."
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