Mariners edged by homer-happy Yankees

August 27th, 2019

SEATTLE -- Given that the Yankees have already hit the most home runs of any Major League team in a calendar month with five days still remaining in August, it’s no surprise that long balls decided the fate of the Mariners' 5-4 loss to New York at T-Mobile Park.

What is a bit surprising is that Mike Ford, a former Mariners Rule 5 pick who was returned to the Yankees last March, launched two of the Bombers’ three homers off Tommy Milone from the No. 9 spot in the lineup.

Ford is playing because Luke Voit, Greg Bird and Edwin Encarnacion are all on the injured list for the Yankees, and the 27-year-old first baseman now has eight home runs in 32 games. The Mariners gave the former Princeton standout a look in Spring Training of 2018, but wound up going with Ryon Healy and Daniel Vogelbach at first base when camp broke.

The Yankees, who also got a second-inning blast from Gleyber Torres, hiked their August total to 64 home runs. The previous MLB record for a calendar month was 58 by the 1999 Mariners and ‘87 Orioles.

“They’ve got power up and down their lineup, and obviously that was the story of the night, the home run ball,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “Just a couple mistakes that Tommy left in the middle of the plate hurt us.”

After a 1-2-3 first inning by opener Matt Wisler, Torres jumped on Milone’s first pitch in the second for his 33rd homer of the year. Later that inning, Ford’s first homer also came on a first-pitch fastball.

“Torres is a very aggressive hitter,” Servais said. “You can’t make a mistake like that. That’s why he’s having the season he’s having. A very talented young player. And Mike Ford, we know very well. We had him in Spring Training last year. He does have power to the pull side, and he got on a couple tonight.”

Seattle has allowed 222 homers, the second-most in MLB, and they are on pace for 272 for the year, which would shatter their franchise record of 237 given up in 2017.

The Mariners played some long ball of their own with a three-run smash by utility man Dylan Moore in the second inning, his second homer in the past two games. This one projected at 400 feet, per Statcast, to center field.

“That’s a long ways to hit a ball,” said Servais. “That’s probably one of the farthest home runs he’s ever hit. He’s been swinging the bat good here the last couple days.”

Moore hadn’t played in a week until getting the start Sunday and homering in Seattle’s 3-1 win over the Blue Jays and he followed up with his sixth of the season on a J.A. Happ changeup.

“They kind of punched us in the mouth, but we came back and settled down,” Moore said. “It’s a good matchup. We both have good offenses.”

Mallex Smith -- in the game after Keon Broxton was ejected for accidentally hitting home-plate umpire Manny Gonzalez with a batting glove after being called out on strikes in the second inning -- took Nestor Cortes Jr. deep to cut the lead to 5-4 in the seventh.

But the Mariners managed just four hits on the night and couldn’t dent the Yankees’ potent back of the bullpen, with Aroldis Chapman striking out Moore on a 102-mph fastball to end the night.

The Mariners are tied for fifth in MLB with 210 homers on the year. That’s on pace for 258 for the season, which would be just shy of the club-record 264 set in 1997. That mark stood as the MLB record until the Yankees hit 267 last year.

But the Twins have already hit 253 this year and are on pace for 315 on the season, while the Yankees are second now with 244.