SEATTLE — In recent days, Michael Pineda’s voice had been giddy and his face expressive when he was asked about his impending return to Seattle, where on Monday night he would face Felix Hernandez, his friend, former teammate and onetime mentor.
It has been more than three years since the Mariners dealt Pineda to the Yankees in a trade that included Jesus Montero as the other centerpiece, and Pineda had not returned here to pitch since then.
The wait was clearly worth it and the night worth savoring for Pineda, who carried a shutout into the seventh, which was plenty thanks to Mark Teixeira’s grand slam — the crowning blow as the Yankees chased Hernandez uncharacteristically early in a 7-2 victory.