Yankees continue series against Mariners, go for sweep in Seattle

Left-handed starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery flips to first base for the out during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Buffalo, NY.|Art or Photo Credit: AP

Luke Voit is starting to make up for lost time.

And it couldn't come at a better time for the New York Yankees.

Voit had a career-high five hits and drove in three runs in a 12-1 victory at Seattle on Tuesday and followed that with two more hits and an RBI on Wednesday night as the Yankees held on for a 5-4 win.

New York will try to continue its dominance in Seattle and complete a sweep of the three-game series Thursday afternoon. Wednesday's victory clinched the Yankees' 10th consecutive series victory in Seattle, where they're 23-5 since 2012.

Voit, who led the Major Leagues in home runs in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, missed the first six weeks this year after having surgery during Spring Training for a torn meniscus in his left knee. He returned in late May before a right oblique strain caused him to sit for another month.

He went through a 2-for-24 slump shortly after coming back.

"It's been pretty frustrating," Voit said. "I felt like I was 0-2 going up to the plate sometimes."

Both Voit and manager Aaron Boone credit the recent resurgence with the right-handed hitter not getting "pull-happy."

"He's not just adding the length, he did a good job using the whole field," Boone said. "He hadn't used right field (recently)."

Voit hasn't homered since June 24, but teammates Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge have been picking up the slack, hitting bombs into the second deck in left field the past two nights.

"I'm not just a power hitter," Voit said. "I need to take my hits. I was pulling off balls. I need to get back to what I was doing last year."

He also believes the Yankees can return to the postseason despite their struggles in the first half.

"I love everyone in this locker room, and this team has what it takes," Voit said. "Obviously, the division is pretty far, but there's still 80 games left to play and if we get hot..."

The Yankees are scheduled to send left-hander Jordan Montgomery (3-3, 4.17 ERA) to the mound in the series finale. Montgomery, who has lost his past two starts, will be making his first career appearance against the Mariners.

Seattle is set to start right-hander Logan Gilbert (2-2, 4.10). The former first-round pick will be facing the Yankees for the first time.

The Mariners' top pitching prospect has impressed manager Scott Servais in nine starts since being called up in mid-May.

"Obviously a new team, first time in the big leagues, but I think he's adapted and adjusted really well," Servais said on 710 ESPN recently. "For me, Logan is an old soul. He's a young player, but he's an old soul. I say that as a compliment. He just takes his craft very seriously and his routine very seriously. And not much is going to get him off the rails...

"Every time he takes the ball and goes to the hill I feel pretty good about him getting us five or six innings and just keeping us in the game. And he's only going to continue to get better, in my opinion."