NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run homer, Austin Wells went deep for the third consecutive game and the New York Yankees pounded the Seattle Mariners 10-3 on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series between American League playoff contenders.
Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh traded late home runs after the outcome was all but decided, with Raleigh's 36th of the season keeping the Seattle catcher two ahead of Judge for the major league lead.
Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt each had three hits for the Yankees, who won their second straight following a six-game slide. Rookie right-hander Will Warren (6-4) pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings, rebounding from an ugly start in Toronto last week.
Following a 35-minute rain delay in the top of the fifth, Oswald Peraza's run-scoring infield single off Mariners starter Logan Gilbert with two outs in the bottom half ended Seattle's team-record streak of 33 scoreless innings.
Gilbert (2-3) faded fast in the sixth. Judge and Bellinger opened the inning with consecutive singles before Stanton connected for his 431st career homer to make it 4-0.
Three batters later, Wells pulled the first pitch from reliever Casey Legumina to right field for his career-best 14th homer, a two-run shot.
Goldschmidt added a two-run single to make it 10-0 in a four-run seventh that included Judge's solo homer and an RBI double by Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Key moment
Stanton's homer was his second this season after missing the first 70 games with pain in both elbows. He returned June 16.
Key stat
With a two-run shot in the eighth, Raleigh eclipsed Hall of Fame slugger Ken Griffey Jr. (1998) for the most homers by a Mariners player before the All-Star break. Barry Bonds holds the big league record with 39 for San Francisco in 2001.
Up next
Mariners rookie Logan Evans (3-2, 2.96 ERA) starts Wednesday night against right-hander Cam Schlittler, who will be called up by the Yankees to make his major league debut in place of injured Clarke Schmidt. The 24-year-old Schlittler was 6-6 with a 2.82 ERA at Double-A and Triple-A combined this season.
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Mike Fitzpatrick, The Associated Press