Six-run third backs effective Phil Hughes

SEATTLE -- Phil Hughes' roller-coaster season hit another upswing Thursday night, something Joe Girardi wholly expected.

"We've seen him do it," Girardi said. "The ability is there."

Hughes displayed that for seven strong innings. Backed by a six-run third that included back-to-back homers by Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira, the righthander helped the Yankees to a 6-1 win over the Mariners in front of 18,776 at Safeco Field.

The Yankees (35-25), just starting a 10-game, three-city West Coast trip, won their fourth straight game to stay 1½ games behind the Red Sox.

Hughes, who came in 2-4 with a 5.37 ERA and was coming off a start against the Red Sox in which he allowed five runs in 41/3 innings in an 11-1 loss, allowed three hits and struck out seven in seven innings-plus. The only run off him was unearned.

"You talk about having bounce-back outings and not letting a bad one have a snowball effect on you," Hughes said. "So it was nice to pitch well here and look forward to five days from now."

Said Girardi, "He used his changeup a little bit more tonight and used all his pitches. Did a really good job of throwing strikes."

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Before the game, Girardi said he hoped Hughes, a fly-ball pitcher, would be aided by throwing at Safeco. Hughes entered the night having allowed 12 homers, with eight of them coming at the Stadium. "It's definitely a little more friendly for a fly-ball guy here than our stadium," Girardi said. "I hope it helps."

Hughes downplayed his effectiveness away from the Stadium. "If you're on, you're on," he said. "It doesn't matter."

The Yankees' offense was on in the third inning, part of an overall odd night. Seven straight batters (and eight of the first nine) got hits in the third, but other than that, the Yankees did next to nothing at the plate.

Eleven Yankees batted in the third and only 25 came to the plate in the other eight innings, with the only baserunners a hit batsman in the first inning and a single that was erased by a double-play ball in the eighth.

The Yankees knocked out Aaron Harang in the third, but reliever Blake Beavan put their bats to sleep. He retired the first 14 batters he faced, and after a leadoff single by Travis Hafner in the eighth, Beavan got a double play and a flyout. He retired the side in order in the ninth, so he pitched to the minimum number of batters in his 62/3 innings. "I don't care when we score our six runs," Girardi said. "If you get six runs a night, you're probably going to win a lot of games."

Teixeira, activated from the DL last Friday, has three homers and eight RBIs in his last four games. His effectiveness in the third spot in the lineup, Cano said, has allowed him to see better pitches as the No. 2 hitter.

"It's a big difference," he said. "We all know what kind of hitter he is. It's great to have him back and the way he's swinging the bat. I'm getting more pitches to hit now."

Harang retired six of the first seven hitters he faced before the Yankees, in big ways and small, erupted in the third.

Jayson Nix, 10-for-his-last-30 coming in, started the rally with a single to left. After Austin Romine struck out, Brett Gardner singled sharply to right to put runners at the corners. Cano swung at Harang's first pitch, an 89-mph fastball, and lined it into the seats for his team-best 15th homer of the season and a 3-0 lead.

Two pitches later, Teixeira drove Harang's 89-mph fastball over the wall in right-center, and the Yankees were far from done. Hafner, in a 3-for-27 skid, blooped a single in front of centerfielder Michael Saunders and Kevin Youkilis, activated along with Teixeira last Friday and off to a 3-for-18 start, doubled to right, putting runners at second and third with one out. Vernon Wells ended his 0-for-18 streak with a single to right, bringing in Hafner, and Ichiro Suzuki lined a single to left to make it 6-0.

Said Teixeira, "It's just a jolt of energy and those big innings are great for your pitcher, especially early."

In the sixth, Hughes walked No. 9 hitter Brendan Ryan, who took second on Jason Bay's flyout to the track in left-center. Kyle Seager's line-drive single to center put runners at the corners with one out, but former Yankee Raul Ibañez and Kendrys Morales each popped out to Nix at shortstop to end the inning.

After an RBI double by Seager off Boone Logan in the eighth that put runners on second and third with one out, Logan struck out Ibañez and Morales to escape the jam.

"You want to get off to a good start because it is long," Girardi said. "It's a long road trip."