NEW YORK _ The difficult decisions are coming for the Yankees.
Three All-Star caliber outfielders are returning soon with Aaron Hicks expected to be back when the Yankees return home on Monday. That means someone will have to make room for Hicks, and veteran Cameron Maybin is making a case to stay.
The 32-year old, on his eighth team, was acquired for cash considerations on April 25 and is making an impact with his bat and his glove. Maybin made another dazzling catch in right field Thursday and drove in the game-winning run in a 3-1 win that brought the Yankees back up to a season-high seven games over .500.
Clint Frazier and Gleyber Torres set the table for Maybin in the bottom of the second with consecutive singles. Three batters later, Maybin came up with two outs and struck a base hit down the right field line, scoring Frazier and moving Torres to third base. It was Maybin's third RBI since joining the Yankees and his first extra base hit for the club.
J.A. Happ had a shaky first inning on the mound for the Yankees, walking a pair and needing 25 pitches to make it through. Yet, Happ would figure things out, striking out seven across five-plus innings. Happ held the Mariners without a hit until two outs in the top of the fifth inning, when Tom Murphy struck a base hit to left field.
Happ exited after walking Dylan Moore to begin the sixth inning, not pleased with home plate umpire Ed Hickox. Adam Ottavino came into the game and saw Moore reach third base after a stolen base and a throwing error by catcher Gary Sanchez. With one out, Ottavino walked Edwin Encarnacion before inducing a ground ball to shortstop for a double play to end the inning.
The Yankees bullpen continues to excel as the tandem of Ottavino, Tommy Kahnle, Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman combined for four innings, allowing just one hit. Each one of the four relievers got at least one strikeout in their inning pitched. Chapman allowed a two-out solo home run to Domingo Santana in the ninth inning, but finished the inning off for his eighth save of the season.
New York had offensive spurts throughout the night, but couldn't capitalize after the second inning until the bottom of the eighth. Following singles by DJ LeMahieu and Gary Sanchez to lead off the inning, Brett Gardner reached on a fielder's choice and later stole second base. After Torres was intentionally walked to load the bases with two out, Gio Urshela, who entered the game in the seventh inning, struck a base hit past first baseman Jay Bruce for a two-RBI single.
