Rivera loses to Mariners in 12th, 5-4

SEATTLE -- It's not going to get any easier from here.

The Yankees fell into an 0-2 hole on this nine-game trip with a 5-4, 12-inning loss to the Mariners Saturday night at Safeco Field.

Mariano Rivera (1-1) took the loss, allowing Adam Kennedy's bases-loaded bloop single to center with one out in the 12th. The game ended at 2:30 a.m. EDT after 4 hours, 18 minutes of play.

Justin Smoak started the winning rally with a one-out sinking liner to left that Brett Gardner dived for but couldn't quite catch as he kicked up a huge divot. Jack Cust doubled to left, the only hard hit off Rivera, and Joe Girardi ordered Franklin Gutierrez intentionally walked to load the bases, setting the stage for Kennedy's bloop single.

"To me, it's a hit, period,'' Rivera said. "Cost the game. Made good pitches and the ball found places. I wish we were still playing, but it's done.''

Trying to avoid a sweep, the Yankees will send CC Sabathia (5-3, 3.17) to the mound Sunday afternoon against lefthander Justin Vargas (3-2, 3.86), with three of Oakland's top pitchers -- Trevor Cahill (6-2, 2.02), Brett Anderson (3-4, 2.84) and Gio Gonzalez (5-2, 2.17) -- set to face them Monday through Wednesday.

The Yankees, all but helpless against Felix Hernandez the previous four times they faced him -- he was 4-0 with a 0.51 ERA in those games -- did well enough against King Felix, getting four runs in seven innings.

But in a game similar to Friday's -- when they did enough to win against Michael Piñeda, who came in unscored upon in his last 14 innings, but lost to the Mariners anyway -- their pitching staff couldn't hold a lead. In Friday night's 4-3 loss, Boone Logan and Luis Ayala were the primary culprits after the Yankees gave A.J. Burnett a 3-0 lead; on Saturday night, it was Ivan Nova, who lasted only 32/3 innings and couldn't hold a 3-1 lead, exiting with a one-run deficit.

"It's frustrating. We had leads in both of the games,'' Girardi said. "That's the frustrating part. We weren't able to hold them.''

It was a strange night in Seattle that included four fans running onto the field, including a streaker.

Entering the bottom of the 12th inning, Yankees relievers Hector Noesi, David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain, Logan and Ayala had totaled 71/3 scoreless innings, allowing five hits and a walk.

The Yankees, who for the second straight night failed to score against the Mariners' bullpen, got home runs from Robinson Cano (three hits) and Mark Teixeira, who has six home runs and 13 RBIs in the last nine games. Teixeira's 15th home run gave the Yankees a 3-1 lead in the third inning, and Curtis Granderson's two-out triple in the seventh tied the score at 4-4.

Derek Jeter had two hits, leaving him 21 shy of 3,000. He also had a stolen base, the 327th of his career, breaking a tie with Rickey Henderson for the franchise record. But Jeter couldn't come through with Chris Dickerson at second and two outs in the 11th, grounding out to short.

Mariners relievers Aaron Laffey, Jamey Wright, Brandon League and David Pauley (4-0) allowed three hits and no walks in five scoreless innings. Pauley, Wright and League had pitched four scoreless innings the night before.

Miguel Olivo (three RBIs), Gutierrez and Kennedy had three hits each and Brendan Ryan added two for the Mariners, with the four going 11-for-20. The rest of the Mariners were 2-for-25, with Ichiro Suzuki going 0-for-6.

Nova took the mound in the bottom of the fourth with a 3-1 lead, but it quickly dissipated.

Gutierrez started the inning with a grounder to the shortstop side of second that Jeter booted. The play originally was scored an error but later was changed to a hit.

Kennedy followed with a double that put runners on second and third and Olivo, who came in hitting .231, drove in two runs with a double to right-center, tying it at 3-3.

Nova struck out Carlos Peguero for the inning's first out but No. 9 hitter Ryan singled up the middle to give Seattle a 4-3 lead. After Nova walked Chone Figgins with two outs, Girardi brought in rookie righthander Noesi, who ended the inning by getting Smoak to ground out.

Nova walked three, hit a batter and had a wild pitch.

"He had no command tonight,'' Girardi said.

Said Nova: "I didn't have good command but I have to find another way.''

The Yankees tied it at 4-4 in the seventh. Jeter drew a two-out walk and scored on Granderson's triple, which just eluded a leaping Ichiro at the wall in right-center. He climbed the wall and appeared to over-jump the ball. Teixeira drew one of his three walks, but Alex Rodriguez struck out.