1998 Yankees Diary, August 28: An offensive onslaught downs the Mariners

Fresh off a series win against the Angels, the Yankees welcomed the Mariners to town. Despite the prolific power of the Seattle lineup, the road team entered this one 10 games under .500, at 61-71.

The series opener was a prime opportunity to jump all over Seattle. And thanks to an early offensive outburst and solid pitching, the Bronx Bombers did just that. You’ve gotta love winning by a touchdown.

August 28: Yankees 10, Mariners 3 (box score)

Record: 97-36, .729 (18.5 GA)

The Yankees came to play in this one. Poor Paul Spoljaric got boat-raced. It got late really early, as Yogi might have said. After El Duque held Seattle off the scoreboard, the relentless Yankee offense got to work.

Double. Groundout. Walk. Single. Double. Double. Walk. P9. Single. P4. Spoljaric threw 43 pitches to 10 Yankee hitters, with Chuck Knoblauch batting twice in the opening frame. Five runs on five hits had the Yankees up big early and had Seattle thinking about game two of this set.

The ‘98 Yanks were nothing if not a merciful bunch, so they refrained from tacking runs on in the second. But their mercy extended only so far and in the third the bats struck again after Seattle had the temerity to score a run. This time, the long ball extended the New York lead. With Chad Curtis aboard, Scott Brosius went yard. Two runs crossed the dish and New York led 7-1.

As El Duque continued to hold Seattle down, the Yankees capitalized on another opportunity in the fourth. Tim Raines, with runners on second and third, singled home two. Later in the frame, Raines scampered across via a wild pitch. 10 runs for the Bronx Bombers. If it wasn’t over after the first inning, it certainly was after the fourth.

Seattle managed a couple more runs, one off El Duque via a solo dinger in the top of the seventh. But the outcome of this one was never in doubt. 10 runs through four innings, plus Orlando Hernandez in fine form, meant Seattle never really had much of a chance.

By the time the dust settled, every Yankee starter had at least one base hit. Knoblauch led the way with a four-knock night and six Bombers drove in at least one run.

Meanwhile, El Duque offered up the quality start. Seven innings with two runs allowed and eight strikeouts is almost always good enough for government work on it certainly was on this night.

After taking a series from the Angels, the Yanks came out of the gates strong and started this series off on the right foot.