Yankees 2-3 Mariners: Bronx Bombers drop series finale after clinching playoff spot

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New York Yankees 2-3 Seattle Mariners

After securing a playoff berth the night before, the New York Yankees couldn’t complete the sweep in Seattle, dropping the series finale 3-2 to the Mariners on Thursday. The Yankees still lead the AL East by four games with nine left to play, but their magic number to clinch the division remains at six.

Early struggles for Clarke Schmidt

The Yankees’ struggles began early as Clarke Schmidt labored through a rough first inning. After Julio Rodríguez led off with a single, Schmidt issued a walk to Randy Arozarena. Luke Raley followed with a perfectly placed bunt, which Schmidt bobbled, loading the bases. Justin Turner then hit a fly ball to left field, where Jasson Dominguez dropped it after losing the ball in the sun, allowing the Mariners to score their first run. A sacrifice fly by Jorge Polanco and a single from J.P. Crawford pushed Seattle’s lead to 3-0 by the end of the first.

The Yankees’ offense was slow to respond, managing only a two-run homer from Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the third inning. Despite numerous opportunities, they went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. Aaron Judge kept the third inning alive with a single before Chisholm’s 389-foot shot brought the Yankees within one run, but that would be all the offense they could muster.

Schmidt settles in, but injuries strike

Schmidt recovered after the shaky first inning and completed five innings, allowing three runs (only one earned), on six hits and three walks, while striking out seven. Reliever Jake Cousins took over in the sixth but left with an injury after his velocity dipped, later reported as right pectoral tightness. The Yankees also endured a scare in the seventh when Juan Soto crashed into the right-field wall after making a sliding catch in foul territory. Soto stayed in the game after trainers checked him out.

Despite their bullpen holding Seattle scoreless after Schmidt’s exit, the Yankees couldn’t capitalize on their late-inning chances. Dominguez’s baserunning miscue in the second added to the missed opportunities as he was thrown out at home by Raley on a single from Anthony Volpe.

Yankees roster

Up next

The Orioles, meanwhile, walked off the Giants earlier in the day, trimming New York’s AL East lead. With the series in Seattle behind them, the Yankees will head to Oakland for their next challenge. Gerrit Cole is set to start the series opener against the Athletics, with first pitch scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET.

While Thursday wasn’t the Yankees’ day, they still find themselves in a strong position with the postseason looming.

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