Yankees’ Austin Romine, Andrew McCutchen homer in win over Mariners | Rapid reaction

The Yankees’ Austin Romine and Andrew McCutchen each homered and Lance Lynn turned in a strong start in a victory over the Mariners in Seattle on Saturday.

SEATTLE — Just enough.

A few moments of pop and a turnaround performance from Lance Lynn was all the Yankees needed to down the Mariners, 4-2, at Safeco Field before 38,733 on Saturday — and, more importantly, maintain their lead in the race to host the elimination playoff game toward which they’re barreling.

Andrew McCutchen and Austin Romine each clubbed solo shots. Gleyber Torres and Giancarlo Stanton recorded sacrifice flies.

And Lynn, who had been pitching himself out of the rotation, gave up just two runs and three hits over six innings. He had been winless in his last three starts, going 0-2 with a 8.59 ERA.

Dellin Betances got the save despite giving up a leadoff double and loading the bases with one out in the ninth.

He struck out Kyle Seager swinging on a curveball for the tense ending.

What it means

The Yankees improve to 89-53, winning their second straight game. They have won six of their last 10 and are 3-2 on their current road trip.

They stayed at 3 1/2 games ahead of Oakland in the battle for the top American League Wild Card spot. The A’s defeated the Rangers earlier in the day.

Getting ahead

With one out in the seventh, Romine tore into reliever Nick Vincent’s 90-mph fastball in a 2-2 count, sending it deep into the right field seats. It was the eighth pitch of the at-bat.

That gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead to hand off to their back end of their bullpen.

It also gave Romine his first double-digit home run season. His previous career-high was four in 2016.

Back and forth

McCutchen’s second home run in as many days sparked the scoring. 

McCutchen ripped a 2-1 pitch from Hernandez deep to the left-field corner, giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

That would last until the third inning, when Mike Zunnino would absolutely demolish a Lynn offering off the batter’s eye behind the center-field wall. That made it 1-all.

The Yankees jumped back ahead a run in the fifth before Seattle tied it up again.

Brett Gardner walked to start the inning and then he stole second base with McCutchen up. After McCutchen walked, too, a trainer examined Hernandez on the mound. Hernandez walked off with him. His night was over.

Seattle later announced Hernandez had right hamstring tightness and that he was day-to-day.

That brought in righty reliever Shawn Armstrong, who almost immediately watch Zunino let a ball past him, allowing the runners to advance. Not long after, Giancarlo Stanton lifted a fly ball to the right field warning track, scoring Gardner.

Didn’t last long.

In the inning’s bottom half, Kyle Seager hit a single to lead off to center, and Ben Gamel hit into a fielder’s choice. Zunino moved him to second and then Dee Gordon singled on a fly ball just out of the reach of Gardner, who was running in. Gamel, an ex-Yankee, scored, tying things again.

Injury report

Didi Gregorius, just off the disabled list Friday, started and played just six innings. He’s working his way back from a bruised left heel.

Aaron Judge (right wrist fracture) swung in the cage, performed defensive drills and threw.

Next

Yankees lefty CC Sabathia (7-6, 3.54 ERA) vs. Mariners righty Erasmo Ramirez (2-3, 5.56) at 4:10 p.m. EST Sunday at Safeco Field.

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.