SEATTLE _ Finally, a series win.
And it could not have come at a better time.
The Yankees wrapped up a three-city, 11-game trip to start the season's second half with a 6-4 victory over the Mariners Sunday afternoon at Safeco Field.
Rookie Clint Frazier's two-run double in a three-run sixth snapped a 4-4 tie and the Yankees' new-look bullpen turned in a dominant 5 1/3 scoreless innings.
By taking three of four the Yankees (51-46), who got two home runs from Didi Gregorius and one from Brett Gardner, won their first series since June 9-11 against Baltimore and finished this at-times grueling trip 6-5. They had been 0-8-2 in their previous 10 series.
The Bombers, who pulled within 2 { games of the Red Sox in the AL East, start a nine-game homestand Tuesday night against the Reds at the Stadium.
After rookie left-hander Caleb Smith, making his first career start, failed to get out of the fourth, the bullpen took over. That sterling effort was led by Chad Green, who struck out three over 2 1/3 innings, giving the 26-year-old right-hander 30 strikeouts and one earned run allowed over his last 20 1/3 innings.
Dellin Betances and David Robertson pitched the seventh and eighth, respectively and Aroldis Chapman, though he gave up a couple of hits, recorded his 11th save. Kyle Seager doubled with one out and he went to third on a passed ball charged to Gary Sanchez. Chapman, however, retired Mitch Haniger on pop up to second and struck out Ben Gamel, a thorn all series, to end it.
Gardner's leadoff homer off Yovani Gallardo was the center fielder's 17th homer of the season to match a career-best. Gregorius made it 2-0 with a shot in the second. Gregorius' 14th homer of the season made it 3-0 in the fourth and gave the shortstop the first multi-homer game of his career.
Smith cruised through three innings but was knocked out in a four-run fourth that put the Yankees behind.
Danny Valencia and Robinson Cano led off with back-to-back singles and Nelson Cruz, after getting ahead 3-and-0, walked to load the bases.
Smith almost recovered. He struck out Kyle Seager on a full-count changeup and got Haniger to foul out to right.
But Gamel, dealt by the Yankees to the Mariners last August for two minor leaguers, lined a first-pitch fastball to left for a two-run single that made it 3-2. Guillermo Heredia followed with a double, on a 0-and-1 changeup, into the gap in left, the two-run double just like that giving the Mariners a 4-3 lead.
Gallardo struck out Judge and Sanchez to start the fifth, then got Matt Holliday to fly to center, extending his skid to 5-for-43.
The Yankees retook the lead in the sixth _ this time for good _ against left-hander James Pazos, another former Yankee.
Pazos issued back-to-back walks to Chase Headley and Todd Frazier with one out, and pinch hitter Ronald Torreyes punched a single to right to load the bases. Gardner's sinking liner to left brought in Headley to tie it at 4 and mercifully put an end to Pazos' outing. In came right-hander Tony Zych to face Frazier and the rookie drilled a 1-and-1 sinker to left for a two-run double that made it 6-4.
