Clint Frazier hit a tiebreaking two-run double, Didi Gregorius and Brett Gardner combined for three home runs and the New York Yankees beat the Seattle Mariners, 6-4, Sunday at Safeco Field. >> Box score

Gardner went 2-for-5 with a leadoff home run in the first inning and a game-tying RBI single in the sixth inning off James Pazos (2-3). Frazier followed and drove in two runs with a double to left field that made it 6-4, as the Yankees won a series for the first time since June 9-11.

Gregorius homered in the second and fourth innings to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead, but Yankees starting pitcher Caleb Smith allowed a two-run single to Ben Gamel and a two-run double to Guillermo Heredia in the bottom of the fourth inning that gave the Mariners a 4-3 lead.

Bryan Mitchell allowed six runs (two earned) and eight hits in 2 1/3 innings as the New York Yankees lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-2, Monday at Yankee Stadium. >> Read more

• Mitchell (1-1) allowed one run in the first inning, three in the second and two in the third.
• In the second inning, Aaron Judge dropped a Chase Utley line drive that allowed two runs to score, and Utley scored on Corey Seager's RBI single to give the Dodgers a 4-0 lead.
• Catcher Gary Sanchez made a throwing error trying to throw out Howie Kendrick at second base that allowed Josh Reddick to score in the third inning.
• The Yankees' 5-9 hitters combined to go 2 for 17.
• Judge and Starlin Castro both hit solo home runs for the Yankees, who remained two games back of the second wild card spot in the American League after the Baltimore Orioles lost to the Boston Red Sox.
• Jose De Leon (2-0) allowed two runs and three hits in five innings for the Dodgers.
• Yasiel Puig homered off James Pazos in the eighth inning, and Justin Turner homered off Ben Heller in the ninth.
• Richard Bleier pitched four innings of scoreless relief.

Video: Joe Girardi on Bryan Mitchell's tough start on Monday night

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

The Yankees have recalled RHP Bryan Mitchell and LHP James Pazos from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the team announced Tuesday afternoon. 

Mitchell has a 1.00 ERA in 9.0 innings for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2016. In 40.2 innings for the Yankees between 2014-2015, Mitchell had a 5.31 ERA and 1.62 WHIP, while striking out 36.

Pazos was 2-2 with a 2.63 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 27.1 innings in Triple-A this season. The southpaw pitched 5.0 innings for the Yankees in 2015, allowing zero earned runs and only three hits

Yes, the New York Yankees have compiled one of the best backend of the bullpen combinations in all of baseball. But, in doing so, have the Yankees neglected to pay enough attention to how the club will reach the dominant combination of Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman?

We touched on the fact that the starting rotation held some of the responsibility some weeks back, mentioning the importance of each member's ability to pitch deeper into games if they wanted to be considered an ace. Even if this improves across the line, the backend of the bullpen cannot pitch daily.

This makes the relievers charged with providing middle relief innings, as well as aiding the backend of the bullpen when rest is needed, quite important. To that end, the Yankees have decided to take a pretty big chance on relatively inexperienced relievers.