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Seattle Mariners

Judge’s mammoth three-run homer lifts Yankees over Mariners

New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge watches his three-run home run against the Seattle Mariner during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, July 21, 2017, in Seattle. (Ted S. Warren / Associated Press)
By Bob Dutton Tacoma News Tribune

SEATTLE – Friday’s crowd of 34,073 at Safeco Field crowd got an eyewitness look at the “All Rise” phenomenon that is rookie Aaron Judge, whose three-run homer in the fifth inning nearly left the stadium.

Judge’s blast also lifted the New York Yankees to a 5-1 victory over the Mariners. The distance? Anyone’s guess. The drive didn’t register on MLB’s beloved Statcast tracker.

Too far? Too high? Too deep? Maybe all three.

Mariners officials estimated it at 440 feet. Club officials said no ball has ever left the stadium in Safeco’s 18-plus seasons.

“A bad pitch in a bad spot and a bad result,” manager Scott Servais said. “It got us behind the eight-ball there.”

Judge’s homer was his 31st of the season, which leads the majors. He recently won the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game in Miami with an impressive power display.

The ball soared over the head of left fielder Ben Gamel, who played with Judge over the previous two seasons at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

“I’ve definitely seen what he can do,” Gamel said. “He took a good swing, and he’s 6-(feet)-8 and 290 pounds. There’s a lot of force.”

Everything else Friday was a footnote.

The Yankees won for the 12th time in their last 13 games at Safeco Field. The Mariners (48-50) now trail New York by 3 1/2 games for the American League’s final wild-card spot.

New York starter CC Sabathia (9-3) lasted just five-plus innings on his 37th birthday before departing after a leadoff walk in the sixth inning.

Tommy Kahnle and David Robertson, each obtained recently from the Chicago White Sox, worked the next two innings before Dellin Betances and Adam Warren closed out the victory.

“We had a few chances and didn’t get a big hit early to get the ball rolling,” Servais said, “and their bullpen is really good.”

Mariners rookie Andrew Moore (1-2) entered the game having allowed eight homers over 24 innings in his four previous big-league starts. None of them compared to Judge’s clout.

“I pitch up in the zone,” Moore said, “and guys hit mistakes here. A lot of them have been off-speed. It’s just part of the game. You’ve got to get a new ball and go after it.”

Moore gave up five runs in six innings.

The Mariners actually opened the scoring when they nicked Sabathia for one run in the first inning on Kyle Seager’s infield single — when first baseman Chase Headley missed a late stab at the base.

But they left the bases loaded when Guillermo Heredia grounded into a force at second.

Gamel led off the second inning with a double but tried to advance to third on Jean Segura’s one-out grounder to short. Gamel was an easy out in the latest example of the Mariners’ season-long baserunning gaffes.

“I don’t break for third if I had to do it again,” he said. “That was my fault. I’ve got to be better than that. I thought it was hit a little softer than it was.”

New York took the lead by scoring twice in the third inning. They pulled even on successive doubles by Headley and Clint Frazier, who came around on two fly outs.

The Mariners left runners at second and third later in the third inning when Heredia flied out to right.

All that set up the New York fifth, when Judge teed off in the fifth inning after one-out singles by Brett Gardner and Gary Sanchez.

“If you make mistakes,” Moore said, “a lot of times they don’t come back. Especially with middle-of-the-order guys like that, the margin for error is pretty small. You’ve got to execute pitches.”

PLAY OF THE GAME: Yankees left fielder Clint Frazier took extra bases away from Mike Zunino with a diving catch in the second inning with Gamel on second.

The Mariners led 1-0 at the time. Gamel held second on the play, but he tried to advance when Segura followed with a grounder to short.

PLUS: Mitch Haniger and Gamel each had two hits…reliever Emilio Pagan worked three scoreless innings after replacing Moore. Pagan has allowed one run and six hits in 15 1/3 innings over his last five outings.

MINUS: The Mariners lost for 11th time in their last 13 home games…Gamel has baserunning blunders in each of the last two games…the Mariners were 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position and are 5-for-26 over the first two games of the series…Segura was hitless in five at-bats, which dropped his average to .338.

STAT PACK: Robinson Cano’s double in the eighth inning was the 495th of his career and moved him into a tie with Aramis Ramirez and Frank Thomas for 68th on MLB’s all-time list.

QUOTABLE: Servais on Gamel’s baserunning mistake: “It’s happened here a couple of nights in a row. It’s something that we talked about a lot today.

“Ben is having a really nice season. He’s done a great job at the plate. We’ve seen what he can do in the outfield for us. Sometimes on the bases, he gets a little too aggressive.

“He wants to keep moving and, sometimes, you’ve got to let the game come to you.”

SHORT HOPS: The Mariners traded veteran relievers Mark Lowe and Jean Machi, who had been at Triple-A Tacoma, to the Chicago White Sox for cash considerations. The move was made to provide Lowe and Machi a better chance to pitch this season in the big leagues. Doing so helps a club to sign veterans in the future to minor-league contracts…Three-time former Mariner Raul Ibanez, also a former Yankee, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

ON DECK: The Mariners and Yankees continue their four-game series at 6:10 p.m. Saturday at Safeco Field. Left-hander Ariel Miranda (7-4 with a 4.35 ERA) will oppose New York right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (7-9, 5.33).