New York @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 1, 2010 ) Seattle 2, NY Yankees 4

Andy Pettitte, the greybeard of the New York Yankees starting rotation, is having perhaps his most successful season.

That’s saying something considering Pettitte has won five World Series titles, is baseball’s all-time postseason wins leader (18) and has accumulated more wins (239) than any major-league pitcher since 1995.

But the 15-year veteran is 10-2 with a 2.82 ERA, the second lowest of his career, and has emerged as the best starter on baseball’s best team.

Pettitte will try for his third consecutive victory when the Yankees (53-31) begin a four-game series against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night at Safeco Field.

The 38-year-old left-hander was named earlier this week to his first All-Star Game in nine years and third of his career when Boston’s Clay Buchholz went on the disabled list with a strained hamstring.

Pettitte was the pitcher with the next-highest vote total, so the decision was an easy one for Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who will guide the American League.

In his first start since being named as Buchholz’s replacement, Pettitte will try to help the Yankees win their sixth consecutive game.

New York lost two of three to the Mariners last week at Yankee Stadium, but has won four in a row on the road. Mark Teixeira’s three-run homer helped the Yankees to a 6-2 win and three-game sweep of Oakland on Wednesday night.

Pettitte will be seeking his 240th career victory. He is second among active pitchers, behind only Philadelphia’s Jamie Moyer (267 wins).

Pettitte is only 10-11 with a 4.51 ERA all-time against the Mariners. He is 2-3 in his last six starts against Seattle with a 2.76 ERA.

The Mariners will counter with left-hander Jason Vargas (6-4, 3.22). After being among the sturdiest of Seattle’s starters early on, Vargas has produced his two shortest outings of the season in back-to-back games.

Vargas lasted just 4 1/3 innings against Detroit on Saturday, allowing six earned runs on eight hits. On June 27 at Milwaukee, he went five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits.

Vargas has thrown 100 2/3 innings this season and tossed a career-high 143 1/3 in 2009. The Mariners say he has been fine in bullpen sessions.

Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano agreed to pull out of Monday’s Home Run Derby in Anaheim at the behest of trainer Gene Monahan.

Cano missed Wednesday’s game against Oakland because of a minor back injury and the Yankees did not want him taking that many swings in the event to aggravate the injury. Cano is 3-for-3 with two doubles against Vargas.