Yankees rock Felix Hernandez with three homers in victory over Mariners

For a good portion of the past 20 years, Felix Hernandez took a back seat to no one on the list of Yankees killers from the mound.

Not to Roy Halladay, not to Cliff Lee, not to Dallas Keuchel.

But those days are long gone, with Monday night serving as the latest reminder.

In a matchup of two former aces and AL Cy Young Award winners, CC Sabathia outpitched King Felix in a 7-3 victory over the skidding Mariners in front of 37,423 at the Stadium.

The Yankees (20-14), winners of 12 of their last 16, returned to their lineup one of the 13 players on the injured list, Clint Frazier, who had a quiet night.

But they got homers from Luke Voit, Brett Gardner and rookie Thairo Estrada (his first) in the first two innings off Hernandez in taking a 6-0 lead, giving Sabathia plenty of cushion. That lead grew to 7-0 in the third when Gardner tripled and scored on Gio Urshela’s single.

“Every night, whether it’s Gio or Estrada or [Tyler] Wade, Domingo] German, or whoever else, it’s fun to watch, man,” said Voit, whose 10th homer, a two-run shot in the first, made it 2-0. “This group is so confident right now.”

The 38-year-old Sabathia, who expressed relief after recording his 3,000th strikeout in his start last Tuesday in Phoenix, picked up his 248th victory, tying him with Amos Rusie for 47th all-time. Sabathia (2-1, 3.20 ERA) allowed three runs and five hits in five innings.

“Just gritty,” Sabathia said of the unlikely players who have helped the Yankees thrive. “We have dealt with so many injuries but just the grit of this team. Next man up, whoever’s out there, is going to get the job done for us and we all feel that.”

Sabathia shut out the Mariners (19-18) in the first three innings but allowed a two-run homer to Domingo Santana in the fourth that made it 7-2, and then a solo shot to Dee Gordon in the fifth.

Aaron Boone, perhaps mindful of Sabathia’s chase for 250 victories, let the rapidly-tiring veteran finish the 32-pitch fifth and he was rewarded as Jay Bruce grounded weakly to first with the bases loaded for the third out.

“I just felt like I liked the matchup enough and I felt like he was still throwing the ball well enough,” Boone said of Sabathia facing the lefty-hitting Bruce. “He made a pitch.”

Hernandez brought a career 2.98 ERA in 23 starts against the Yankees into the night but that impressive number was built primarily early in his career, which included one stretch in which he threw three straight complete games against them. But Hernandez has not made the transition well from power pitcher to something else — an adjustment that Sabathia struggled with but ultimately navigated successfully — hardly resembling the player who captured the 2010 Cy Young and finished second for the award in 2014. The righthander, who hasn’t posted a sub-4.00 ERA since 2016, allowed seven runs (six earned) and eight hits in five innings, falling to 1-3 with a 5.20 ERA.

Jonathan Holder took over for Sabathia in the sixth and loaded the bases with one out. Adam Ottavino was summoned to clean up and the righthander did, getting Mitch Haniger to fly to short right and Tim Beckham to ground to short. Estrada, starting at short, made a nice charge, scoop and throw to get Beckham at first, part of an overall terrific night for the rookie.

“It’s not easy for us,” Boone said. “We’ve obviously faced our share of adversity and these guys have answered the bell every day."

By Erik Boland

erik.boland@newsday.comeboland11

Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.