Gaudin gives Yankees a chance with three scoreless innings

Disgust dissolved into cheers at the Stadium Saturday as Chad Gaudin and the rest of the Yankees' bullpen did what Javier Vazquez could not: close the door on the Seattle Mariners.

The crowd of 48,158 booed Vazquez for his ineffectiveness, but Gaudin's efficiency rendered the starter's struggles an afterthought. As the first link in the bridge to closer Mariano Rivera, Gaudin tossed three scoreless innings to restore order in what became a 9-5 victory over Seattle.

"That's what I'm down there to do," said Gaudin, who entered with a runner on first and none out in the fourth and combined with Boone Logan to preserve a 4-4 tie before the Yankees scored three runs in the seventh. "It was tough for Javy, but I got an opportunity to go out there and keep us in the game, and that's the main thing: saving the bullpen, keeping us in the game and giving us a chance to win."

Gaudin, Logan, David Robertson and Mariano Rivera gave up four hits, no walks and one run in six innings, striking out six.

"When the bullpen shuts it down, it feels good for all of us, because we're all a little unit down there," said Logan, who earned his first win this season. "We've been doing it as of late and hopefully we'll keep going to the end of the season, through the playoffs."

Rivera picked up four outs to earn his 25th save, marking the 14th season out of 14 he's reached that plateau. He surpassed Lee Smith for the longest such streak since saves became an official statistic in 1969.

It was the first save of more than an inning for Rivera since August 2009. "I don't care," said Rivera, who gave up a meaningless run in the ninth. "It don't matter to me as long as we win."

Gaudin (one hit, three strikeouts) had thrown two hitless, scoreless innings in Friday night's 6-0 loss to the Mariners, but said he felt stronger Saturday as the game went on. He also said he's feeling more comfortable on the mound these days.

"I think the difference is I've just gotten a rhythm," said Gaudin, who has allowed one run in eight innings in six August outings. "I've gotten to where I can feel a tempo and be able to command my fastball and have command of other pitches as well."

Command was something that Vazquez - who gave up four runs, including three solo homers, in three innings-plus - lacked. But his removal in the fourth signaled the end for the Mariners. "We just couldn't do a whole lot after Javy left," Seattle manager Daren Brown said.

Gaudin was released by the Yankees and Athletics earlier this season before returning to the Yankees. "It's been a trying year," he said. "There's been a lot of ups and downs . . . But you stick it out and keep on fighting and here we are."

"That's the game-winning performance right there," Mark Teixeira said of Gaudin's outing.

Said Derek Jeter: "They have some guys that can swing the bats, and he came in and did exactly what we needed him to do."