Whitley's Second Straight Gem Helps Yankees Complete Seattle Sweep

After watching them go 1-for-17 with RISP in Sunday's loss to the Royals, you could make a strong argument that the Yankees sweeping the Mariners was unlikely.

The Bombers, who had lost 3 of 10 going into Tuesday's opener, were just 31-31 on the season, on the brink of really falling behind in the Wild Card standings. 

Fortunetaly, that didn't happen, as the Yanks completed a surprising three-game sweep tonight with a 6-3 win.

While games never end in the first inning, the momentum sure was claimed early on in this one, as Jacoby Ellsbury, the third hitter of the night, took Roenis Elias (3.1 IP, 6 ER) deep in the opening frame to give the Pinstripes a 2-0 lead. 

That advantage would be added onto in the top of the third, when Alfonso Soriano, playing for the first time since Saturday, drove in a pair with a line-drive double.

Overall, Soriano would go just 1-for-5 with three strikeouts in the contest, although that one knock was definitely appreciated.

Later on in the fourth, Derek Jeter (3-for-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI, Walk) singled home another duo, giving the Yankees a 6-1 lead and really breaking the game open.

All that support was more than enough for Starter Chase Whitley, who again proved he's worth a spot on the roster.

The youngster, coming off his first career W Saturday, tossed another 7.2 innings of two-run ball tonight, improving his record to 2-0 and the team's in his outings to 6-1.

During the start, Whitley was helped out by a couple of catches at the wall from Ellsbury and Gardner, although he did still pitch pretty well, surrendering just 5 hits and no walks.

In the bottom of the ninth, in nice-to-see-you fashion, Shawn Kelley finally returned to the field, giving up three hard hit balls and a run during his 1/3 of a frame appearance.

Because of his struggles, the Bombers were forced to use Closer David Robertson, who struck out the only two men he faced for his 16th save of the season.

At first look, the fact that Robertson threw this evening might make you think that he'll be unavailable tomorrow, although that's probably not true, as #30 did get the job done on just 8 pitches. 

In other words, while Kelley's problems were frustrating, they still shouldn't have any effect on the Yankees past tonight, something he's probably breathing a sigh of relief for.