Mariners manage just one hit in 17th straight loss

NEW YORK – Rock bottom seemed to have been reached on a nightly basis by the Mariners since this epic losing streak stretched beyond the usual four or five games.

But monumental domination on Tuesday night at the hands of New York Yankees ace CC Sabathia just caused the ultimate Seattle faceplant into hard granite. Sabathia fought off two rain delays to hand the Mariners a 17th consecutive defeat, 4-1, in a game in which Seattle’s first hit was a Brendan Ryan single one out into the seventh inning.

About the only thing that appeared to slow Sabathia down was a pair of rain delays, the second of which occurred just before he walked three batters to open the eighth inning and was replaced. The Mariners were fortunate to get even one run off reliever David Robertson in the ensuing at-bats and wound up striking out 18 times against Sabathia and the bullpen on the night.

“When they get the lead late in the game, eighth and ninth inning, it’s pretty tough to come back,” said Ryan, who briefly silenced 46,132 fans at Yankee Stadium by ending Sabathia’s shot at a perfect game with his line drive single to left.

But the game was lost for the M’s when they couldn’t capitalize with the bases loaded and none out after the second of two rain delays – lasting 30 minutes and 14 minutes, respectively – seemed to throw Sabathia off. Before that, Sabathia had struck out a career-high 14 batters in helping his Yankees fan the most hitters in a nine-inning game in franchise history.

The game’s key moment came when Adam Kennedy stepped in to face Robertson with the bases full and none out, worked the count to 3-1, then took a called strike from umpire Bob Davidson that appeared inches off the outside corner.

Kennedy wound up striking out when he swung at a pitch in the dirt. Eric Chavez then bobbled a potential inning-ending double-play grounder by Chone Figgins and had to settle for one out at third as the run crossed the plate.

The M’s haven’t had many breaks during a streak that sees them tied for 17th place with the 1977 Atlanta Braves, 1962 New York Mets and the 1926 Boston Red Sox for the longest in major league history dating to 1890. There are four teams tied with 18-game skids.