Yankees smoke Mariners

Damon, Mussina spark New York

NEW YORK - Johnny Damon had a spring in his legs, Mike Mussina showed some zip on his arm, and, when it was over, John McLaren unloaded with plenty of anger.

Damon homered and doubled twice to help Mussina win his third straight start in New York's 6-1 victory over the sloppy Seattle Mariners yesterday.

One day after co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner said he was "disappointed with the way the season has gone," the Yankees (16-16) rapped out 13 hits and beat Seattle for the second time in a row following a three-game sweep by the Detroit Tigers in New York.

"I think we played a pretty all-around game," Damon said.

Meanwhile, McLaren dressed down his team with a screaming tirade that could be heard outside Seattle's clubhouse. "Everything he said, he hit the nail right on the head," left fielder Raul Ibanez said. "We're not playing well and we have to pick it up."

The slumping Mariners have lost four in a row, managing only seven runs during that stretch. They fell to 6-11 on the road and made two more errors after committing four in the first three innings of Friday night's 5-1 loss.

"We're doing a lot of things we can't do. One is not fielding. One is not making the pitch when we have to. It's just something you can't do. That's not winning baseball," McLaren said. "We can't hit for them. It's up to them. We put them out there. If they can't hit, we'll look for other options.

"I have to take full responsibility. It's my team. There's not much I can say. We're just not playing good baseball."

Derek Jeter had three hits, Damon scored three times, and Mussina (4-3) outpitched Felix Hernandez, 17 years his junior, for his 254th win.

Mussina, 39, was in control all afternoon, using a sharp curveball and 68-mile-per-hour changeup to strike out five batters while throwing 84 pitches in six strong innings.