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Yanks go for back-to-back wins against M's

Sat 3rd, May 2008

(Sports Network) - One night after receiving another subpar performance from a starting rotation member, the New York Yankees will again be counting on a top-notch effort out of Chien-Ming Wang when they begin a three-game series with the visiting Seattle Mariners this evening.

The Yankees started off their current nine-game homestand in unwanted fashion, as the Bronx Bombers lost all three meetings with the Detroit Tigers prior to this set. The resurgent Tigers completed the sweep with Thursday's 8-4 victory that featured another short outing from a New York starting pitcher.

New York jumped out to a quick lead on Bobby Abreu's three-run homer in the first inning, but Ian Kennedy couldn't hold on to the early cushion. The rookie pitcher wound up exiting after 4 2/3 innings in which he surrendered four runs on five hits and issued three walks.

Shelley Duncan tied the game at 4-4 for the Yankees with an RBI single in the fifth inning, but Detroit put up four runs against Jonathan Albaladejo (0-1), who also served up six hits in his 1 2/3 innings of work.

New York starters were lit up for 15 runs over a combined 14 1/3 innings during the three losses to Detroit, but it's unlikely the team will receive a similar showing when Wang takes the mound tonight.

The standout right-hander has amassed a 5-0 record with a 3.23 earned run average over his first six starts of the season and delivered probably his best performance of the year in Sunday's 1-0 win at Cleveland. Wang yielded just four hits and struck out a season-best nine batters through the first seven innings in that game.

Wang has also excelled when facing the Mariners over the course of his career. The Taiwan native has won all six of his lifetime starts against Seattle and pitched to a 2.01 ERA during that span. In 2007 matchups with the Mariners, Wang surrendered a mere two runs over 15 1/3 innings.

Seattle counters with an ace of its own tonight in Erik Bedard, who came off the disabled list last weekend and responded with an outstanding return to the mound. The prized offseason acquisition limited Oakland to just two hits in 6 2/3 shutout innings to earn the victory in the Mariners' 5-3 triumph over the Athletics on Saturday.

Bedard had been sidelined for nearly three weeks with inflammation in his hip, but got through a 95-pitch outing without any problems on Saturday.

The 29-year-old lefty is 2-0 with a 2.04 ERA in three starts for Seattle, which reeled in Bedard in a blockbuster trade with Baltimore over the winter.

The ex-Oriole gave the Yankees plenty of trouble last season, posting a 2-0 record and an excellent 1.29 ERA in three 2007 starts versus New York. For his career Bedard owns a 4-3 mark with a 3.58 ERA in 11 appearances (10 starts) against the Yankees.

Seattle has endured its share of recent struggles as well, as the M's enter this series with losses in six of their last eight games and just dropped the final two tests of a three-game set at Cleveland. The finale was decided in the bottom of the 11th inning, with Asdrubal Cabrera's two-out RBI single lifting the Indians to a 3-2 decision on Thursday.

The Mariners sent the contest into extra innings when Ichiro Suzuki scored on an error while stealing third base in the top of the ninth, then took a 2-1 lead on Richie Sexson's solo home run to start the 10th. However, closer J.J. Putz allowed the Indians to tie the game in the bottom of the frame when he walked Grady Sizemore with the bases loaded.

Mark Lowe (1-2) wound up with the loss after giving up the winning run in the 11th. Seattle starter Miguel Batista delivered a sharp seven innings in which he permitted just one run on four hits while striking out six.

These teams split 10 meetings last season, with the Yankees winning four of the seven encounters held in the Bronx. Seattle is just 4-9 at Yankee Stadium since 2005.

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