Yankees top Mariners for sixth win in a row

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Yankees shrugged off a rain delay to record a sixth consecutive victory on Tuesday, the 8-5 win over the Seattle Mariners set up by Melky Cabrera''s tie-breaking double in the eighth inning.

Cabrera drove in three runs overall but the one that mattered most was an extra-base blast to break a 5-5 deadlock after the gritty Mariners had twice rallied to tie the score.

"Melky''s had some big hits all year," team mate Alex Rodriguez told reporters. "He''s really worked hard to put himself in the position to come through for us."

Rodriguez hit a two-run shot in the seventh, his 565th homer, to give the Yankees (44-32) a 5-3 lead before Seattle battled back for a second time with two runs in the top of the eighth.

Kenji Johjima, who had three hits, singled in the first run and Russell Branyan added the second with a sacrifice fly.

Cabrera, however, wasted little time regaining the initiative for the home team before Derek Jeter''s single to center field brought two more runners home to complete the scoring.

Brian Bruney (3-0) picked up the win in relief by pitching the eighth inning, when the Mariners scored twice to tie the score. He was credited with the win because the Yankees scored three runs in the bottom half of the inning.

"I let the team down tonight, and they picked me up," Bruney said.

Yankees starter Joba Chamberlain was tagged for nine hits and three runs in five-plus innings.

Closer Mariano Rivera threw out the ceremonial first pitch to celebrate his 500th save on Sunday, then returned in the ninth to retire the Mariners in order.

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina. Editing by John O''Brien and Greg Stutchbury)