MLB

Yankees’ win streak ends as offense flops in 10-inning loss to Mariners

SEATTLE — The Yankees’ four-game winning streak and red-hot offense were sabotaged by a longtime fan.

George Kirby, who grew up in the Westchester County suburb of Rye, suffocated them across eight scoreless innings Wednesday night, allowing just three harmless singles.

The Mariners finally took advantage in the bottom of the 10th inning, when Cal Raleigh led off with an RBI single against Ron Marinaccio to hand the Yankees a 1-0 loss on Wednesday night at T-Mobile Park.

“We’ve scored a bunch obviously in the first two games [of the series], but that doesn’t take away that this team as a whole can really pitch,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Kirby’s one of those guys. We just couldn’t mount much against him.”

The Yankees did not take advantage of a gift in the top of the 10th. DJ LeMahieu led off with a ground ball to shortstop that J.P. Crawford bobbled.

Cal Raleigh (center) is mobbed by Teoscar Hernandez (left) and Julio Rodgriguez after belting the game-winning single in the 10th inning of the Yankees’ 1-0 loss to the Mariners. Getty Images

The error put LeMahieu on first and moved automatic runner Oswaldo Cabrera to third.

After Isiah Kiner-Falefa popped up, Jake Bauers walked to load the bases, but Anthony Volpe hit a grounder to third and Eugenio Suarez threw home for the force out.

Boone then pinch-hit for Kyle Higashioka with Franchy Cordero, who struck out to end the threat.

The manager had hoped Anthony Rizzo, who has a stiff neck, would be available off the bench, but he said after the game it was for an “emergency-only situation.”

Instead, Cordero struck out to leave the bases loaded.

Aaron Judge strikes out swinging in the fourth inning. AP

Clarke Schmidt turned in his best start of the season for the Yankees, tossing 5 ²/₃ scoreless innings while giving up three hits and one walk with seven strikeouts.

The only thing that kept him from a deserved win was the Mariners’ Kirby one-upping him.

“I think I’m just continuing to be on the attack as far as mentality-wise and being aggressive in the zone,” Schmidt said. “I know I have good stuff and I’m trying not to nibble too much in the zone and just go right at them.”

After the Yankees had scored 30 runs over their past three games, they were silenced by Kirby.

Mariners starter George Kirby is congratulated by teammates after pitching eight scoreless innings. AP

The right-hander began the game by going nine up, nine down until Gleyber Torres led off the fourth inning with a single.

Torres was soon erased when he slid past the bag trying to steal second base.

The Yankees did not have another base runner until Higashioka roped a one-out single in the sixth.

He advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Greg Allen, who may have been bunting for a hit.

Clarke Schmidt, who pitched into the sixth inning, did not allow a run in the Yankees’ loss. AP

Torres then nearly came through again, but his line drive was snagged by a leaping Crawford at shortstop to end the threat.

“[Kirby] was really kind of working the edges with the fastball,” Higashioka said. “He’s got two good heaters and he was playing them off each other pretty well. We just couldn’t put enough good swings on him in a row.”

Schmidt gave up a two-out single to Julio Rodriguez in the bottom of the sixth, at which point Boone pulled him at 84 pitches for Wandy Peralta.

The lefty, brought in to face the left-handed hitting Jarred Kelenic, did the job, striking out the former Mets prospect.

In the seventh, LeMahieu poked a two-out single to right field, giving Kiner-Falefa a chance to be the hero again.

The red-hot utilityman put a charge into a ball, but Rodriguez tracked it down on the run just in front of the wall in left-center field.

The Mariners made sure Aaron Judge did not have a chance to win it for the Yankees in the top of the ninth, intentionally walking him with two outs.

Willie Calhoun could not make them pay, flying out to end the inning.