New York @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 12, 2011 ) NY Yankees 9, Seattle 3

THE STORY: The New York Yankees increased their lead over idle Boston in the American League East to a season-high four games with a 9-3 triumph over the Seattle Mariners on Monday. Both the Yankees and Red Sox have 16 games remaining, including a three-game series at Yankee Stadium from Sept. 23-25. New York, which continues its three-game set at Safeco Field on Tuesday, began its 10-game road trip with three straight losses before winning the next two. The Mariners have lost nine of their last 12 contests.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, YES Network (New York), Root Sports (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH A.J. Burnett (9-11, 5.27 ERA) vs. Mariners LH Charlie Furbush (3-8, 4.84 ERA).

Burnett has posted just one victory in 12 starts and is winless in his last four. The 34-year old settled for a no-decision against Baltimore on Wednesday after allowing four runs in six innings. Burnett, who will reach double digits in wins for the seventh straight season with his next victory, yielded two runs over five innings in a no-decision at Safeco Field on May 27.

Furbush will be making his 10th career start and eighth with Seattle. The 25-year old rookie has lost each of his last four outings, including a 3-1 setback at Los Angeles on Wednesday in which he allowed three runs in a career-high 7 1/3 innings. Furbush has surrendered eight runs in 11 innings over his last two home starts.

ABOUT THE YANKEES (89-57): A day after making his major-league debut, Austin Romine got his first start behind the plate Monday. The 22-year old went 1-for-4 and scored a run. Nick Swisher returned to the lineup after missing three games with an elbow injury. However, manager Joe Girardi felt Swisher was not yet ready to play in his normal right field position and started the 30-year old at first base.

ABOUT THE MARINERS (61-86): Seattle struck out six times Monday, ending its string of four straight games with at least 10 strikeouts. The Mariners have never had a five-game streak of its kind. Ichiro Suzuki went 1-for-5 on Monday, bringing his career hits total to 2,413. He is two hits away from tying Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle for 111th place and four behind Pie Traynor for 110th on the all-time list.

FINAL PITCH: Yankees closer Mariano Rivera was not needed Monday, leaving him one save away from the 600th of his career and two behind all-time leader Trevor Hoffman. Rivera passed Hoffman for ninth place with his 1,036th career appearance on Sunday.