Pavano excels as Yanks win 10th straight

[BuckFoston]

SEATTLE -- Carl Pavano pitched a complete-game shutout to help the Yankees beat the Mariners, 6-0, in front of 35,549 at Safeco Field. The win extended the Yankees' winning streak to 10 games.

It was the fourth complete-game shutout of Pavano's career. He pitched two last year with the Marlins and one in 1999 with the Expos.

In his first three starts in May, Pavano allowed 14 runs in 16 innings and pitched past the fifth inning only once. On Tuesday, the right-hander allowed just five hits and did not walk anybody. He also retired the side in order five times.

Fittingly, it was another Yankee who has struggled in May who provided some offensive punch for New York. Jason Giambi was 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run and three RBIs. The hits extended his hitting streak to five games and raised his May batting average from .154 to .233.

Alex Rodriguez contributed two runs to New York's lead in the fifth with a two-run homer into the Seattle bullpen, beyond the wall in left-center. It was Rodriguez's Major League-leading 13th home run this season. http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASAp...=.jsp&c_id=nyy

[BuckFoston]

Another article :SEATTLE (AP) -- Jason Giambi is doing his best to influence the Yankees' front office into making an easy call on his future.

Giambi hit a solo home run, singled twice and drove in three runs, and Carl Pavano pitched a five-hitter as the surging New York Yankees won their 10th straight, beating the Seattle Mariners 6-0 on Tuesday night.

Alex Rodriguez hit his major league leading 13th home run, a two-run shot, and Jorge Posada had an RBI single as the Yankees collected 10 hits and matched their longest winning streak since a 10-game run from June 30 to July 12, 1998.

Pavano (3-2) pitched his fourth shutout, his first since a seven-hitter for Florida at the Chicago Cubs last Sept. 10, and his sixth complete game. It was New York's third shutout of the season, and the third time the Mariners failed to score.

Giambi hit his fourth homer, sending an 0-1 pitch from reliever Matt Thornton deep into the right-field stands in the sixth. The 394-foot shot was his first since April 19 and put the Yankees up 6-0.

He was promised plenty of at-bats during the current nine-game trip. After Giambi's average dropped to .195 last week, general manager Brian Cashman and manager Joe Torre asked the former AL MVP to consider a trip to the minor leagues, a move than can't be made without Giambi's consent. But he wanted to work out his problems with the major league club.

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He is 7-for-20 (.350) with four RBIs on the trip, and Torre said before the game that Giambi was showing good signs and will continue to play this weekend in the interleague series at the Mets.

Rebounding from an awful start against Seattle last week, didn't allow a hit until consecutive two-out single in the fourth by Richie Sexson and Raul Ibanez.

All of Seattle's hits were singles, and Pavano struck out seven, walked none and hit a batter with a pitch.

It broke his skid of three straight starts without a decision, including a four-inning effort against Seattle last week at Yankee Stadium in which he gave up nine runs on 10 hits in four innings.

Julio Mateo (1-1) made his first major league start, allowing five runs and eight hits in five innings.

Rodriguez made it 5-0 in the fifth, lining a 1-1 fastball from Mateo an estimated 385 feet into Seattle's bullpen behind the left-field wall. Gary Sheffield was aboard after a one-out single.

New York led 2-0 in the second after Posada and Giambi hit RBI singles.

Notes

Seattle RF Ichiro Suzuki went 0-for-5, ending his 10-game hitting streak. ... By taking the first two of a three-game set, the Yankees assured themselves of their eight series win at Safeco Field in nine visits. They've beaten Seattle in all five games this season and nine straight overall. ... Mariners 3B Adrian Beltre left after five innings with a tight left hamstring. Team officials described the move as precautionary.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=250517112

[nyjunc]

Maybe Jason is starting a new cycle? He has actually looked competent at the plate recently and had a big game for the first time since Game 7 of the '03 ALCS.

Most encouranging is we keep getting good pitching performances for the most part. It's amazing to think how far we've come in such a short period of time.

Wasn't it strange seeing Safeco w/o so few people in the stands?