SEATTLE -- A lot changed for CC Sabathia over the past year or two, both on and off the field, but one thing that stayed the same is his mastery at Safeco Field.

Sabathia had another successful start in Seattle on Tuesday night, pitching seven strong innings as the New York Yankees beat the Seattle Mariners 5-1.

"We're trying to win every game," Sabathia said, "and to be a part of that feels really good."

Sabathia (8-10) allowed one run on three hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. He retired the last nine batters he faced and didn't give up a hit after the fourth inning. The left-hander has a career 9-1 record with a 2.09 ERA in 13 starts at Seattle.

New York center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning, while rookie third baseman Ronald Torreyes had three hits, an RBI and a run for the Yankees (64-61).

"There were some key hits by some guys tonight," New York manager Joe Girardi said. "Torreyes had another big night, and we had a big home run."

The Mariners (67-58) fell two games behind the Baltimore Orioles in the race for the second American League wild card. Seattle managed just four hits in the loss.

"The story (Tuesday) was our offense got shut down," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "That's the first time that's happened in a long, long time. Sabathia was just that good. It was Textbook Pitching 101."

Mariners starter Taijuan Walker, who was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma earlier in the day after a surprising demotion two weeks earlier, had some early success but ran into trouble in the fifth and sixth innings. Walker (4-8) allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits over 5 2/3 innings.

"I just made one mistake," Walker said, referring to the pitch he tried to throw up and away that ended up in the middle of the plate for Ellsbury's home run.

The Yankees added an unearned run on shortstop Didi Gregorius's RBI double in the top of the ninth, boosting the lead to 5-1.

New York closer Dellin Betances came on and finished off the win by striking out Nelson Cruz in the ninth inning in a non-save situation.

Ellsbury's two-run homer in the fifth inning gave the Yankees a 3-1 lead. Ellsbury followed a leadoff double from Torreyes with his sixth home run of the season.

New York's first run came after a second-inning error by Seattle third baseman Kyle Seager, who misplayed a chopper to the left side of the infield. That put Aaron Judge on with two outs, and after a walk, New York took a 1-0 lead on Torreyes' RBI double.

Seattle tied the score 1-1 in the third when Ketel Marte followed Leonys Martin's triple with an RBI single up the middle.

"It's really important for us to win the series (Wednesday afternoon)," Servais said. "We had a pretty good homestand, swung the bats well; it's just (Tuesday), Sabathia got us."

NOTES: Yankees RHP Anthony Swarzak (right rotator cuff inflammation) was placed on the 15-day disabled list before the game. Swarzak gave up the game-winning home run in Monday's seventh inning. New York recalled RHP Ben Heller, who was acquired from Cleveland in the Andrew Miller trade and had not appeared in a game during an earlier stint with the Yankees. ... Seattle recalled RHP Taijuan Walker to start the game and activated RHP Tony Zych from the 60-day disabled list. To make room on the 25-man roster, the Mariners optioned RHP Cody Martin and OF/1B Stefen Romero to Triple-A Tacoma. ... Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira was in the lineup Tuesday for only second time in six games. He went 1-for-5. ... The Yankees and Mariners wrap up the three-game series on Wednesday afternoon. Seattle opens a seven-game road trip with a Thursday game against the Chicago White Sox. The Yankees are off Thursday before playing a three-game series at Baltimore.