Recap: Yankees 3, Mariners 1

Masahiro Tanaka returned to the rotation in style, holding the Mariners to just one earned over seven solid innings as the Yankees completed a sweep of their AL West rival, 3-1, today at Safeco Field.

All That Talk for Nothing: After months of facing questions about his health and effectiveness, Tanaka threw a straight-up gem in this one -- yielding just three measly hits while walking none and striking out nine. He retired the Mariners 1-2-3 in every frame but the third, more than compensating for the offense's slow afternoon.

Garrett the Great: Yesterday's eleventh-inning three-run bomb appears to have sparked something in Garrett Jones, who hit yet another go-ahead home run with the game tied in the fourth. Batting with a man on against Seattle's Taijuan Walker, Jones smoked a 2-1 fastball high into the right-field stands -- giving the Yankees the 3-1 advantage with which they would ultimately win.

Your Daily Tex Message: Mark Teixeira continued his productive series with a solo shot in the second, lifting a fly ball just past a leaping Seth Smith in right for his 16th four-bagger of the year. Teixeira now leads all major-league first basemen in that category, trailing only Nelson Cruz overall.

A Lot of Nerves: One-sided as this contest was during Tanaka's time on the mound, the Mariners did load the bases with one out in the eighth -- putting two on versus Andrew Miller when Mike Zunino walked and Rickie Weeks got hit by a pitch. Fortunetaly for the Yankees, though, Miller was able to escape the jam with a strikeout of Logan Morrison and a force-out from Austin Jackson -- keeping New York on top despite a poor performance in the inning.

Damn Injuries: The injury bug has already affected Yankees such as Tanaka, Jacoby Ellsbury and Chris Martin this season -- and it may have just claimed its next victim. Catcher Brian McCann will undergo an MRI tomorrow after exiting today's victory with soreness in his right foot, the same foot which cramped in last week's loss to the Rangers.

Next Up: The Yankees will take a much-needed off-day tomorrow, but begin a weekend set with the Angels Friday night in the Bronx. First pitch for the opener is currently scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET, with Nathan Eovaldi (4-1, 4.40 ERA) opposing LA's Jered Weaver (4-4, 4.08 ERA).