Mariners 4, Yankees 3
NEW YORK -- Second baseman Robinson Cano hit a pair of two-run home runs against his former team, leading the Seattle Mariners to a 4-3 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday.
Playing in his fifth game at Yankee Stadium since signing a 10-year, $240- million contract with Seattle, Cano heard boos each time his name was mentioned over the public address system.
While Yankee fans might have jeered Cano, there was nothing but cheers in the Seattle dugout for his two big swings. Both came against New York right-hander Michael Pineda's fastball and resulted in Cano's first multi-home run game as a Mariner.
Cano's 14th career multi-home run game and first since July 1, 2013, at Minnesota began on the first pitch he saw from Pineda.
Hitless in six previous at-bats against the former Mariner, Cano drove Pineda's first-pitch fastball to center field into the loading dock area adjacent to Monument Park with one out in the first inning.
After getting a two-out single in the third, Cano snapped a 2-2 tie by sending Pineda's 0-and-1 pitch into the right field seats with nobody out in the sixth.
The ball landed in the second deck near a group of fans holding a sign that read "New York Loves Cano".
Seattle right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma (2-1) allowed a two-run home run to catcher Brian McCann among five hits in 5 2/3 innings.
In his third start since returning from a lat injury, Iwakuma recorded three of his four strikeouts against designated hitter Alex Rodriguez.
Iwakuma exited after throwing 76 pitches with two on in the sixth, and five relievers combined to limit the Yankees to one run in 3 1/3 innings.
Left-hander Joe Beimel recorded the final out of the inning by getting McCann to fly out and Mark Lowe pitched a scoreless seventh.
Vidal Nuno got the first two outs of the eighth and Fernando Rodney retired Rodriguez for the final out.
Carson Smith gave up a leadoff double to first baseman Mark Teixeira in the ninth, threw a wild pitch on a strikeout to third baseman Chase Headley and allowed an RBI groundout to right fielder Garrett Jones before getting his seventh save in eight opportunities.
In his second career start since being traded from Seattle three years ago, Pineda (9-6) allowed four runs and six hits in six innings.
NOTES: Yankees manager Joe Girardi said there is a good chance that OF Carlos Beltran will be activated from the disabled list Sunday after missing over two weeks because of an oblique injury. ... Seattle LHP Charlie Furbush (left biceps tendinitis) was slated to throw a bullpen session but manager Lloyd McClendon said he was experiencing more discomfort and will be shut down. ... The Yankees swapped pitchers in their latest transaction, optioning RHP Bryan Mitchell to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre and recalling RHP Branden Pinder from there. ... According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Seattle 3B Kyle Seager is the second player to record six extra-base hits in consecutive games against the Yankees in New York. The other was Detroit's Billy Lush, who did it during the 1903 season.