Jameson Taillon sharp for seven innings, Yankees get 18 hits in romp at Seattle

SEATTLE — The Yankees did exactly what they should have Tuesday night in a 12-1 blowout victory over the Mariners at T-Mobile Park: beat up on a lousy starting pitcher.

Few Yankees fans need reminding that that has been the exception rather than the rule in this disappointing season. So for that, the club deserves credit.

Teeing off on Justus Sheffield, dealt to the Mariners in November 2018 as part of the deal that brought James Paxton to the Bronx, the Yankees accomplished what Aaron Judge pleaded for a little more than a week ago when his team was on its way to getting swept in Boston: getting ahead early.

On this night, it was Giancarlo Stanton doing the primary damage in that regard, ripping a three-run homer, the DH’s 15th blast of the season, in the first for a 3-0 lead. Three more runs, two on a two-out single by Luke Voit, who set a career high with five hits, came an inning later to make it 6-0 and bring an end to Sheffield’s night.

The lefthander allowed six runs, five hits and three walks in 1 2/3 innings, driving his season ERA to 6.48.

"We did a great job of hitting his mistakes," Stanton said.

Struggling righthander Jameson Taillon was the beneficiary of the outburst. Taillon, 3-4 with a 5.43 ERA entering the night and coming off of an outing the previous Tuesday against the Angels when he allowed five runs and a season-high nine hits, allowed one run and four hits in seven innings against the Mariners.

"Nights like tonight remind me of what I’m capable of," Taillon said.

DJ LeMahieu’s resurgence continued as the leadoff man had three hits in his first three at-bats, en route to a 3-for-6 night that improved him to 14 for his last 36 (.388).

LeMahieu’s RBI single in the third off Hector Santiago made it 7-0 and Judge followed with an RBI double to make it 8-0.

"We haven’t had a lot of games where we’ve gotten out [ahead early] and run away," Aaron Boone said. "You love these kinds of games when you’re on the right side of them."

The Yankees (43-41), who came into this six-game trip having lost seven of their previous nine, outhit the Mariners (45-41), 18-5, reaching a season high in hits and runs.

"Guys were locked in from the beginning," said Voit, who added three RBIs to go with the five hits. "Something we needed."

Judge, Stanton, Miguel Andujar and Rougned Odor added two hits apiece. Odor gave the Yankees their second three-run homer of the night, his shot in the eighth making it 12-1.

Seattle did not put its first runner in scoring position against Taillon until the sixth, when Kyle Seager singled with two outs, which got JP Crawford, who walked with one out, to second. Ty France delivered a blooper to left that brought in Crawford, but the Yankees were coasting 9-1.

Slumping closer Aroldis Chapman got to work what should have been a stress-free ninth inning. His fastball velocity down a tick — sitting mostly 96-98 mph — Chapman allowed a single, two walks and a wild pitch, but struck out the side in a scoreless frame.

Taillon, meanwhile, had the lead before stepping on the mound.

LeMahieu led off with a single and, after Judge flied to the track in center, Gary Sanchez drew a walk. Stanton fell behind 0-and-1 before destroying the next pitch, an inviting 94-mph fastball, off the facing of the second deck in left, his 15th homer making it 3-0. Sheffield did strike out Gio Urshela and Odor swinging to end the 29-pitch inning.

Taillon allowed a one-out single to Mitch Haniger in the bottom half but nothing else in the 19-pitch inning.

"I had a three-run lead before throwing a pitch," Taillon said. "Those guys were locked in from the get-go. In the dugout, you can feel them feeding off of each other. They had some energy and swag out there."

The Yankees quickly tacked on. Tim Locastro, acquired last week from the Diamondbacks and making the start in center Tuesday, walked with one out in the second and went to second on LeMahieu’s second hit of the night. LeMahieu was erased when second baseman Dylan Moore made a terrific diving stop on Judge’s ground smash, turning it into a 4-6 force. But Judge would steal second and a wild pitch brought in Locastro to make it 4-0.

Later in the inning came Voit’s two run-single to left that made it a six-run lead and mercifully brought an end to Sheffield’s night.

Voit added an infield single with the bases loaded in the fifth off Santiago to make it 9-0 and give the Yankees, at that point of the game, a 12-2 advantage in hits.

"The quality of at-bats from everyone was really strong tonight," Boone said. "Probably as good an outing as we’ve had."

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.