A-Rod's two-run single in ninth beats Mariners, 3-1

SEATTLE - The boos showered Alex Rodriguez each time he batted, and on two occasions, fake money fluttered down from the top deck of Safeco Field when he stepped to the plate.

Make no mistake: A decade after A-Rod left Seattle, he's still a despised figure here.

The boisterous crowd got to enjoy Rodriguez failures early. He stranded four runners - three in scoring position - his first three times up.

But after a night of frustration, Rodriguez delivered the game's biggest hit in the Yankees' 3-1 victory over the Mariners. His two-out, two-run single in the top of the ninth inning off Mariners closer David Aardsma broke a 1-1 tie.

"In most visiting ballparks, unless it's from our fans, there's not a lot of cheers [for A-Rod],'' manager Joe Girardi said. "That comes with being who he is. I think he's able to block it out. I think he understands that's part of the game and comes with his status in the game, and it's been happening for a long time."

Rodriguez said of the hit: "We're just thinking about one big hit. We tried to give that game away a few times, but our pitching was that good tonight."

It was the sixth straight victory for the Yankees (54-31), off to a 4-0 start to this road trip.

Mariano Rivera, who pulled himself out of the All-Star Game with injuries to his right knee and left oblique, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 20th save.

"He looked good," Girardi said.

Andy Pettitte (11-2, 2.70 ERA), who will be in Anaheim on Tuesday for the All-Star Game, was brilliant again in his final start before the break, allowing one run and five hits in eight innings. He walked four and struck out nine, his second-highest total this season.

The only run off him scored when he threw away a bunt single in the sixth, but he pitched out of a second-and-third, none-out jam in the inning to keep the Yankees within 1-0.

"It's hard to think that you could do that," Pettitte said of his first half. "Just because I've never really had that great first halves. Everybody always kind of talks about my second halves and it's in my head: You're a second-half pitcher. I'm just thankful I've put together a good first half. I want to keep doing what I'm doing."

The deciding rally began with one out in the ninth when Derek Jeter worked a walk. Nick Swisher, who earlier in the day earned the American League's last All-Star spot by winning the Final Vote on-line contest, then delivered his fourth hit and second double of the night, a drive down the rightfield line that put runners at second and third.

Mark Teixeira hit a foul pop-up for the second out, but Rodriguez grounded a single into rightfield to snap the 1-1 tie and give himself 69 RBIs this season.

The Yankees outhit the Mariners 12-5 and also drew four walks, but they entered the eighth inning trailing 1-0. Rodriguez walked and Robinson Cano singled with none out, which brought manager Don Wakamatsu out of the dugout to replace starter Jason Vargas with righty Brian Sweeney.

With Jorge Posada at the plate, Sweeney threw a wild pitch that allowed A-Rod, a superb baserunner, to take third. That became a key play when Posada grounded into a double play that allowed Rodriguez to score and tie it at 1.

"Big ballpark and runs are at a premium at this park," Rodriguez said. "I knew that Sweeney was a changeup master and I was just looking for a ball in the dirt and to get to third base."

The only inning in which the Mariners (34-51) got to Pettitte was the sixth. Their Nos. 8 and 9 hitters, Josh Wilson and Michael Saunders, led off with consecutive singles. Ichiro Suzuki then dropped a bunt toward the third-base side of the mound. Pettitte fielded the ball cleanly but his throw sailed past Teixeira, allowing Wilson to score. Saunders went to third and Ichiro reached second on the error.

"I just grabbed it and turned over there and I'm not even focusing on where I need to throw it," said Pettitte, the play still very much on his mind in the clubhouse afterward. "I just kind of threw it over there into a group of people . . . I got very fortunate. I have to stop doing that. That's a big-time mistake."

It was Pettitte's third throwing error on a bunt in three games - but remarkably, he got out of the inning without further damage. He got Chone Figgins to ground to third, with the runners holding, and after intentionally walking Franklin Gutierrez, he struck out Russell Branyan looking and Jose Lopez swinging to escape the jam.

Pettitte was essentially that good all night, giving the Mariners far fewer chances than Vargas did the Yankees. They left 12 runners on base, going 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Curtis Granderson had three hits and Cano two.