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SEATTLE (AP) — Masahiro Tanaka may be pitching himself into a start at the AL wild-card game.The Japanese right-hander struck out 10 over eight innings http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-khris-davis-jersey , Gleyber Torres and Andrew McCutchen each hit two-run homers and the New York Yankees beat the Seattle Mariners 4-0 on Friday night.Tanaka (11-5) allowed three hits and didn’t walk anyone, but he wasn’t all that impressed.“I felt like I didn’t have my best stuff,” Tanaka said through a translator. “I didn’t have good command of my slider and had to make adjustments throughout the game. But as the game went one I felt I was able to get my focus. It’s just grinding it out.”Tanaka has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four of his last five starts. Yankees manager Aaron Boone felt Tanaka’s splitfinger fastball was the pitch that made him so effective Friday night.“The splitfinger right from the get-go was a factor,” Boone said. “And we even saw him reach back when he needed a little extra velocity on his fastball. He was in complete command out there tonight. He was terrific.”Boone has yet to commit to a starter for the wild-card game if New York ends up there, in part because ace Luis Severino has been off his game of late. With more results like this, Tanaka could be Boone’s guy in the winner-take-all showdown.The Yankees maintained their 3 1/2-game lead over Oakland for the top AL wild card and stayed 8 1/2 back of AL East-leading Boston. Seattle is 6 1/2 games behind the A’s for the final AL wild card.Tanaka is 7-0 against the Mariners in his career.“That’s about as good a pitched game we’ve had against us in quite some time,” said Mariners manager Scott Servais. “He used all four quadrants of the strike zone with his fastball and he had a really good splitter going. We didn’t get much to square up at all.”Torres and McCutchen squared up two pitches against starter James Paxton (11-6). Torres hit a two run-homer in the second inning, his 23rd of the season. The home run came after Luke Voit hit a two-out single to left.Torres, 21, is the youngest Yankee since Mickey Mantle to get 100 hits in a season.“I feel really good for that,” Torres said. “Hitting in this game is not easy. You have to stay humble and stay focused. I’m trying not to do too much. Now I’m more relaxed at the plate.”McCutchen added a two-run shot in the third for his first homer as a Yankee. He entered the game with one single in 16 at-bats in his first five games with the Yankees since coming over in the trade with the Giants.“I made some mistakes there in the second and third inning and they made me pay,” said Paxton, who pitched six innings and struck out eight. “Other than that, I felt pretty good. I hung a curveball in the third inning and the second inning was a cutter that I just didn’t get to the back foot.”DIDI RETURNSThe Yankees activated shortstop Didi Gregorius from the 10-day disabled list before the game and he entered as a defensive replacement in the sixth inning. He grounded out to second in his only at-bat.Gregorius bruised his left heal on Aug. 19 and missed 16 games. He is hitting .269 with 22 home runs and 74 RBIs.TRAINER’S ROOMYankees: RF Aaron Judge hit balls off a tee before the game, did some throwing in the outfield and fielded balls in early batting practice. Judge broke his right wrist when he was hit by a pitch on July 26.Mariners: Manager Scott Servais said LHP Marco Gonzales will come off the 10-day DL and start Tuesday’s game against the San Diego Padres. Gonzales, who was placed on the DL on Aug. 27 (neck strain) threw in the bullpen Friday. Servais said the Mariners will use a six-man rotation the rest of the season. … 1B Daniel Vogelbach (hamstring strain) was available to pinch hit Friday but still isn’t ready to play in the field.UP NEXTRHP Lance Lynn (8-10, 5.10 ERA) will make his seventh start for the Yankees on Saturday against the Mariners. He never has faced Seattle in his career. Lynn is winless in his last three starts Jake Smolinski Jersey , going 0-2 with an 8.59 ERA. RHP Felix Hernandez (8-13, 5.55 ERA) will make his 28th start of the season Saturday. Hernandez has not won a game since June 30. He has lost four of his last five starts, allowing 19 runs in 28 2/3 innings. PHOENIX (AP) — All those swings, all those at-bats are paying off now for Keston Hiura.The Milwaukee Brewers prospect who began working with a hitting coach when he was 9 connected for his first spring training home run on Friday, a two-run drive off veteran big leaguer Ricky Nolasco of Arizona.“He’s a good hitter and took a breaking ball right there, first pitch breaking ball, and jumped on it,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.Hiura was undrafted out of high school, but he kept hitting at the UC Irvine, batting .442 his junior year. That got the Brewers’ attention, and he was the first round draft pick in 2017.“College was, by far, helpful, and not only on the baseball field but off the field as well, learning about myself, learning about life,” the 22-year-old infielder said.Brewers infielder Mauricio Dubon heard about Hiura’s collegiate exploits from his father http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-khris-davis-jersey , who saw some UC Irvine games.“He can hit, oh my goodness,” Dubon said. “My dad told me before he came into pro ball that Keston can hit. He hasn’t disappointed.”Many years ago, Hiura met hitting coach Sean Thompson through a friend. The emphasis was on hitting to the opposite side of the field.“I was always grateful I learned how to do that at a younger age,” the right-handed Hiura said. “I always felt it was harder to learn how to hit to the opposite field later in your career versus early in your career.”As he got older, he got stronger and the power numbers developed. An elbow injury limited Hiura during the regular season last year — he batted a combined .293 with 52 extra-base hits in 73 games at Double-A and a High A level. He then competed in the Arizona Fall League and batted .323 with five home runs and 33 RBIs in 23 games.“For me and for the Brewers as well, the big thing was to get as many reps as I can,” Hiura said. “The Fall League was some of the best baseball memories of my life. It’s a very laid back atmosphere — you can have fun. You’re playing with players from other organizations, you’re enjoying yourself and your time there.”This is Hiura’s second big league spring training camp with the Brewers and Counsell is hoping he takes advantage of every at-bat.“He’s just a player who needs to be out there,” Counsell said. “You have to trust and believe that Keston will improve as he gets reps and exposure. Keston needs to swing at the slider down to know that’s not going to work. Every player needs to go through that, they really do. You need to swing at that pitch to lay off that pitch. It’s a simple thing but it’s how you get better.”Counsell has seen Hiura handle challenges well this spring.“When I think of Keston’s at-bats against good pitching, I like to challenge him and see how he processes those at-bats,” Counsell said. “He’s been very consistent this spring and we’ve been able to be more consistent with his work. The goal is to put him in a healthy place at the start of the year and right now that’s where we’re at.”While Hiura is still getting comfortable at second base, Counsell says it’s a good fit.“He doesn’t have the arm strength that some guys have and we know that,” Counsell said. “As far as making plays and getting the ball, I’ve always been pretty comfortable with him.”It’s Hiura’s hitting talents that stand out for his teammates.“A lot of us go out there, and especially in spring training Chad Pinder Jersey , more than the season, you worry about mechanics, getting this right, getting that right,” Brewers outfield prospect Corey Ray said. “He just gets out of bed and he’s had the same swing since he was 9. You go out there and get reps and you hit and can focus more on approach and what pitch you’re going to get and actually seeing the baseball and not worry about where your hands are or where your feet are and it makes you a better hitter.“I think he just knows his swing,” Ray said. “As a baseball player, when you know your swing, the more you know your swing, the better you can focus on seeing the baseball. The better you can see the baseball, the better you’ll be.”When Hiura started working with Thompson in California as a kid, he wasn’t thinking about making it to the big leagues.“At that age, you’re just having fun and enjoying time with friends and playing as many sports as you can,” Hiura said.