Yankees finish off sweep of Mariners
NEW YORK — Aaron Judge and Miguel Andujar hit two-run homers off James Paxton in the first inning that sent the New York Yankees over the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Thursday for a three-game sweep.
Luis Severino and the Yankees boosted the best record in the majors to 50-22. They’ve won four in a row and 17 of 21. Seattle has lost a seasonhigh four straight.
Severino (11-2) wasn’t at his best. He gave up Kyle Seager’s two-run homer in the second and permitted eight hits overall, matching a season most. He was pulled with two outs in the sixth after Ben Gamel’s RBI single cut Seattle’s deficit to one run.
David Robertson and Dellin Betances protected the lead, and Aroldis Chapman struck out Dee Gordon on three pitches with a runner on second for his 22nd save in 23 chances.
Paxton (6-2) had been 5-0 in 10 starts since April, including a nohitter at Toronto. He went five innings and threw 107 pitches, the same total as Severino. RED SOX 9, TWINS 2: Rick Porcello allowed one hit in seven innings, Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi homered, and Boston beat Minnesota to avoid a series sweep. Xander Bogaerts had two RBIs for the Red Sox, who had a season-high 16 hits, and finished 6-4 on a road trip through Baltimore, Seattle and Minnesota. After a first-inning single by Logan Morrison, ending a 0-for-30 stretch against Boston, Porcello (9-3) retired 19 of 20 Twins hitters, including the last 16. Throwing 97 pitches, he struck out five and walked one. ROCKIES 6, METS 4: Nolan Arenado homered for the third straight game and drove in five runs to help Colorado beat New York. Arenado also doubled to back another strong outing from Kyle Freeland (7-6). Freeland has pitched at least six innings in 10 of his last 11 starts and has emerged as the team’s most reliable starter. Arenado put the Rockies ahead 3-1 with a threerun homer in the first off Steven Matz (3-5), his 16th of the season. NATIONALS 4, ORIOLES 2: Juan Soto hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the eighth inning, and Washington beat Baltimore. Anthony Rendon homered for the Nationals, who received seven strong innings from starter Max Scherzer.