Hernandez sharp, Burnett battered as Yankees lose, 6-0

Felix Hernandez didn't have to work hard to put away the Yankees. A.J. Burnett did that all by himself.

Burnett allowed a career-high 12 hits in seven innings - including two home runs by Russell Branyan - in the Yankees' 6-0 loss to the Mariners Friday night in front of 46,493 at the Stadium.

Hernandez (9-10, 2.51 ERA) scattered four hits and struck out 11 in eight innings. He has allowed two earned runs in 35 innings in his past four games against the Yankees.

Hernandez has struck out 31 in 26 innings against the Yankees in 2010 and has earned three of his last four wins this season against them.

"His numbers are outstanding and he's been extremely tough on us this year," Joe Girardi said before the game. "He's got great stuff. He's got four pitches that he has to work with. He's got great sink. And he doesn't beat himself, really. This young man is an outstanding pitcher."

But it was Burnett's performance, not Hernandez's, that was most unsettling to the Yankees. Three batters and 11 pitches into the game, Seattle led 3-0 on Ichiro Suzuki's single, Chone Figgins' walk and Branyan's first homer, a drive into the Yankees' bullpen in right-center. And with Hernandez on the mound, that was more than enough.

The Mariners (49-73) had been averaging a league-low 3.3 runs per game, but they continued their hot hitting in the Bronx, where they scored 16 runs in three previous games this season. Casey Kotchman had an RBI single in the fourth, Ichiro drove in a run with a forceout in the fourth and Branyan homered into Monument Park in centerfield in the sixth. It was his 18th homer of the season and 14th career multi-homer game.

"I think I laid a cookie curveball the second time and the first one was a four-seamer that leaked out. It was supposed to be in," Burnett (9-11) said of his approach to Branyan.

The fans booed Burnett throughout, but their displeasure reached a crescendo in the sixth after the second homer. "I gave up six runs. They have a right to boo," Burnett said.

Burnett - who threw a season-high 122 pitches (77 for strikes), struck out four and walked three - said he lacked command only on the two home run pitches. He added: "I think they blooped balls in and I gave up two hard-hit balls. If those two don't leave the ballpark, it's a 2-0 game. So those are the only two pitches I'm worried about."

His manager disagreed. "At times,'' Girardi said, "I think he struggled with everything."

While Burnett failed to keep the Mariners off the bases, the Yankees struggled to get anything going against Hernandez and Garrett Olson, who combined to strike out 13.

Derek Jeter got the first hit off Hernandez - a double down the leftfield line with one out in the fourth - but he was stranded at third after Mark Teixeira grounded out and Austin Kearns struck out. Kearns was pinch hitting for DH Alex Rodriguez, who returned to the lineup after suffering a strained calf Monday but left the game after one at-bat.

The Yankees had another chance in the fifth, loading the bases on two walks and a single, but Hernandez struck out Ramiro Peña and Brett Gardner to end the threat.

The Yankees maintained their one-game lead over the Rays. Host Oakland rallied for the second straight night and again beat Tampa Bay, 5-4.