Yankees Get Shutdown By Roenis Elias and Mariners

nydailynews.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

May 1st, 2014

Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Mariners 4 Yankees 2

For the second straight day the New York Yankees were unable to defeat the Seattle Mariners and Robinson Cano on Thursday night. The loss moves the Yankees to (15-12) on the season, and now the Baltimore Orioles are closing in on first place in the AL East, as they are just .5 games behind.

Making only his sixth start in the majors, Mariners Starter Roenis Elias looked fantastic against the Yankees in his second win of the season. Elias pitched seven strong innings allowing just two runs, only one of which was earned, while striking out 10 batters on 110 pitches. Due to the rain delay on Tuesday, the Mariners could have gone with Felix Hernandez, but instead stuck to the rotation, and it paid off.

Yankees Starter Hiroki Kuroda wasn’t all that good again after a horrendous start against the Angels, as he picked up his third loss of the season. In six innings of work Kuroda allowed four runs, three of which were earned on seven hits, and one walk. After the fourth inning Kuroda would settle down a bit, but the damage was already done.

Robinson Cano was once again booed by Yankees fans, and after a 1 for 5 return to face his old team on Wednesday he followed it up with a 1 for 4 two RBI game on Thursday.

After three games off with a sore hand, Jacoby Ellsbury made his return to the Yankees, and made an impact early. Ellsbury was one of the few Yankees to find success against Elias, as he hit a solo-homerun to lead off the game, which was his first homerun as a Yankee.

The bullpen was strong for the Yankees after the tough start from Kuroda, as Matt Thornton, Adam Warren, and Shawn Kelley combined to pitch a scoreless final three innings, where the Mariners only got one hit off of them.

A strong performance from the Yankees bullpen was matched by the Mariners bullpen, as with the lead they went to Yoervis Medina, who pitched the eighth inning, and then was followed by Fernando Rodney in the ninth inning, as he earned his sixth save of the season.

Next up for the Yankees will be a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays, as Friday Starters will be Vidal Nuno (0-0, 6.59) going against David Price (3-2, 4.75).