There is the Magnificent 7 and here is the Magnificent Ichiro (LS/Bill Menzel)

El Bronx, NY - In this third game of the series, the Yankees (45-32) were aiming their guns to capsize the Seattle Mariners’ (39-38) ship with a sweep of the series. But the Mariners instead yanked New York out of another consecutive win (Please read Howard Goldin’s ‘Yankees Win Seventh Straight Game).

Not a CC night in the Bronx (LS/Bill Menzel)

CC Sabathia (alias Carsten Charles Sabathia) did not bring his Ace game as the Mariners scored in the first (1 run), second (2 runs) and fourth (3 runs) innings of off him. At the end of four innings CC Sabathia had given up a total of 6 runs on 8 hits while striking out 6.

In the meantime, Seattle's Jason Vargas of Apple Valley, California had allowed two runs on two hits through the first 3 innings, until Hideki Matsui added two more runs with his 11th homerun of the season after Robinson Cano had gotten on base with his second hit. Jason Vargas, after pitching only 4 innings, was replaced with RHP Miguel Batista on the bottom of the fifth.

Vargas had allowed 4 runs on 4 hits, while CC, not only pitched a scoreless 5th allowing one hit (9); he came out to start the 6th inning. The first batter greeted CC with a double – the 10th allowed by him. After two outs in the inning, a mound meeting decided that Ichiro Suzuki would be walked intentionally.

This was on sound reasoning given that Ichiro was leading the Majors with a .368 batting average, and hits (112) and multi-hit games with 36. He had already had a multi-hit game (37) with two doubles of CC.  But CC walked the next batter, 1B Russell Branyan to load the bases and this convinced skipper Joe Girardi that that was all for CC.  He was replaced with Alfredo Aceves who struck out Jose Lopez to end the inning leaving the bases loaded. In the post game conference Girardi, commenting much on Sabathia’s mechanics. He said, “CC is usually consistent with his mechanics, but today he just was out of it.”

Both teams put zeros on the board from the fifth through the eight innings. Seattle finally got to Alfredo Aceves on the top of the 9th. It started with Ichiro hitting a grounder to Mark Teixeira who had to throw to Aceves covering the bag before Ichiro got there. But Teixeira’s throw went passed the Yankee pitcher for an error allowing Ichiro to reach first safely.

It was Teixeira’s first error after 106 games dating to last year when he played for the L.A. Angels. The next batter, Russell Branyan crushed the first pitch off Aceves for a two-run homerun over Monument Park, in dead center field.

The Yankees had to get pass Seattle’s closer David Aardsman (2.49 ERA). The first two batters got on base: Robinson Cano with his third hit of the night, followed by another single by Nick Swisher. The next two batters flied out. Jorge Posada, hitting for Francisco Cervelli made the last out looking at a third strike. And so, the 7-game streak ended, or another look would say it got interrupted. It depends what happens when Toronto comes to town for 4 games.

It was a game starting 7 Latinos: 4 on the Seattle Mariners and 3 on the Yankees (there were 3 Japanese players on the field as well: 2 -1 respectively). Seattle’s CF Franklyn Gutierrez of Caracas, Venezuela, got 3 hits, one a homerun; their other field players, Jose Lopez and Ronny Cedeño (both from Venezuela as well) went hitless.  The Yankees’ Robinson Cano went 3 for 3. Melky Cabrera went hitless. Alex Rodriguez went hitless as well, but he did give ball a long ride to deep center field in his last at bat: consolation at its best!

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Alfredo Aceves did pretty well except for one pitch (LS/Bill Menzel)

From Caracas Venezuela, Franklin Gutierrez (LS/Bill Menzel)

Hideki had two hits, including a two run Homerun (LS/Bill Menzel)

Pop Quiz: How many Japanese catchers in the Major Leagues? (LS/Bill Menzel)