Rookie Luke French makes his third start with Seattle and the eighth of his career, taking on the New York Yankees.

French has beaten Kansas City twice for his two career victories, so this figures to be a major step up in competition.

Like Ian Snell and Doug Fister, French may not want to look over his shoulder or think too far ahead. The Mariners want to see Carlos Silva, who threw a 35-pitch bullpen today, and then there's Brandon Morrow in Tacoma.

Morrow's complete-game shutout didn't escape manager Don Wakamatsu's attention.

"He's using his changeup as a weapon now, and that's something he didn't do up here," Wakamatsu said. "Brandon has the fastball and the slider, but the changeup is the pitch we sent him down to get comfortable with. He's close to being ready to come back."

When he does, someone in the rotation will likely be moved to the bullpen once rosters expand. Silva could take a second spot.

Tonight, French vs. Sergio Mitre.

Speed helps

Ichiro Suzuki did his job leading off, making Mitre throw six pitches, then chopping a ball over the mound toward second base.

Robinson Cano tried to hurry - with Ichiro running, you have to - and misplayed the ball for an error. Ichiro took second base as the ball trickled into shallow center.

Franklin Gutierrez grounded out, getting Ichiro to third base. Mariners small ball, anyone?

Jose Lopez scored Ichiro with a sacrifice fly, his 68th RBI of the season.

After one: Mariners 1, Yankees 0

Mariners mistakes

Cano singled and with one out, Melky Cabrera was safe when Ichiro and Gutierrez both called his fly ball - and Gutierrez dropped it for an error.

Jose Molina singled Cano home, but Langerhan threw to the plate - missing the cutoff man - allowing Cabrera to go to third. From there, he scored on Jeter's fly ball.

Nick Swisher then hit his 19th home run of the year.

In the second: Yankees 4, Mariners 1

French laboring on

The 23-year-old French is throwing far too many pitches, wehther he's just working deep in the count to every batter or walking three men in the first four innings.

Regardless, it's taken him 79 pitches to get 12 outs, and that's a ratio that won't get French deep into the game tonight.

In the fourth: Yankees 4, Mariners 1

Scrappy little Mariners

Small ball, small rally.

Ken Griffey Jr. walked, Russell Branyan singled an Jack Hannahan's fielders choice got Junior to third wih two outs.

Rob Johnson's high chopper was an infield single and scored Griffey - Johnson's 23rd RBI of the season.

After four: Yankees 4, Mariners 2

French in the sixth

He began the inning with 91 pitches and not an earned run allowed, although he didn't exactly pitch a pristine second inning.

Still, aside from the mistake-filled inning, French has managed to pitch his way through the Yankees lineup without allowing another run.

Chris Jakubauskas is warming up in the bullpen, but French has not hurt his cause tonight. Six innings, 107 pitches, no earned runs.
In the sixth: Yankees 4, Mariners 2

Mariners leave 'em loaded

Branyan singled with one out, Hannahan drew a walk and Johnson - for the second time tonight - legged out an infield hit to load the bases.

That was it for Mitre, as David Robertson replaced him for New York.

Shortstop Josh-not-Jack Wilson struck out on the eighth pitch thrown to him, and on a 3-2 pitch that looked low, Langerhans was called out on strikes.

After six: Yankees 4, Mariners 2

Another chance to shine ...

Ichiro singled and, with one out, Lopez singled. The Yankees brought in lefty Phil Coke, who struck out Junior, who's whiffed three times tonight.

With Branyan, the team leader in home runs and RBI, at the plate, Ichiro was caught trying to steal third base.

Why? Why, indeed.

After seven: Yankees 4, Mariners 2

That should do it!

On to get a little work in a non-save situation, David Aardsma gave up an opposite-field home run to Derek Jeter, Jeter's 15th of the season.

In the ninth: Yankees 5, Mariners 2

Yep, that did it

Mariano Rivera on, and though it wasn't quite automatic, it worked.

Langerhans walked with one out and Ichiro singled, bringing the potential tying run to the plate.

Gutierrez struck out. Lopez flied out.

It's a final: Yankees 5, Mariners 2

High school shortstop Nick Franklin, chosen with the 27th pick in the June draft, agreed to terms today with the Seattle Mariners for a reported $1.25 million.

Wouldn't you?

The transaction was no surprise, since Franklin was spotted at Safeco Field on Friday and said he was taking a physical for the team today.

That passed, the deal was struck, and the Mariners had their No. 2 pick in the draft under wraps.

Now, there's the matter of their first pick - firstbaseman and outfielder Dustin Ackley, represented by Scott Boras. Ackley was the No. 2 player taken, behind Stephan Strasburg - and Boras represents both.