NEW YORK -- Left-hander CC Sabathia had a first half he would like to forget and first baseman Mark Teixeira had a first half to remember.

On Sunday, the veteran duo helped the New York Yankees start the second half on a positive note.

After Sabathia matched Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez for six innings, Teixeira delivered a go-ahead home run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, lifting New York to a 2-1 victory.

Sabathia and Teixeira helped the Yankees win for the ninth time in 13 games and 18th time in 25 games since getting swept by the Texas Rangers in late-May.

Coming off a first half that saw him lose eight times in 17 starts and allow 122 hits in 100 1/3 innings, Sabathia turned in one of his more effective starts of the season. He held the Mariners to one run and six hits over six innings.

"It's a long season, you're going to have struggles, ups and downs," Sabathia said. "Obviously the first half was the worst of my career but I'm not going to come in here and tell you I (stink) and be negative like I was the last couple of years. I'm just trying to go out and help this team and I still think I can."

"It was good stuff," New York third baseman Chase Headley said. "It wasn't like he was out there tricking guys. He was throwing the ball by guys and he had good action on his fastball, the cutter was good. I thought he really controlled the game. So that's what we've seen from him in the past and it's a great sign going forward if he can continue to do that."

Sabathia's most important pitches came after allowing a one-out RBI single in the fifth to center fielder Austin Jackson.

With runners at the corners, third baseman Kyle Seeger fouled off two sinkers and Sabathia got the strikeout with his slider. Second baseman Robinson Cano got ahead in the count at 2-0 but Sabathia got consecutive swings and misses on the slider and the inning ended with a strikeout.

"It's just a big spot," Sabathia said. "That's a spot where I was getting hurt in games. So to be able to get those outs was big."

At the same time, Hernandez was pitching well but could not get the final out of the sixth and gave up an RBI single to right fielder Carlos Beltran on his curveball. Hernandez allowed one run and five hits in six innings but was lifted after 97 pitches.

"CC pitched extremely well today," Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said. "His command was exceptional. So was Felix."

The game stayed tied until the eighth and Teixeira had a hand defensively and offensively. After reaching into the stands to catch a foul ball by right fielder Nelson Cruz, he came up against Fernando Rodney.

After seeing a changeup on the first pitch, Teixeira saw three more fastballs and drove the 1-2 offering into the right field seats.

"He had thrown me a changeup earlier in the at-bat," said Teixeira, who is 1-for-10 lifetime off Rodney. "I knew that if I got ready early enough, I could react to the changeup as well. So I was ready for the fastball but if he throws a changeup there I might be ready to foul it off or depending on where he puts it maybe put a good swing on it."

It was Teixeira's 23rd home run and league-leading 63rd RBI. It also was his 11th career go-ahead home run and first in the eighth inning or later since Aug. 14, 2009, in Seattle off Mark Lowe.

For Rodney, it was his seventh home run allowed, one shy of his career high in 2009 with Detroit. It also came after he retired designated hitter Alex Rodriguez for the final out of the eighth inning in Saturday's win.

"He hit my best pitch," Rodney said. "I threw the pitch before to him for a strike and I was trying to do it again. Sometimes we're not perfect and that was one of those times."

Dellin Betances (6-2) used Teixeira's defensive assistance and worked around two walks in a scoreless eighth. Andrew Miller tossed a hitless ninth for his 20th save in as many opportunities.

Teixeira's home run was the second late home run that Seattle gave up in the series. The Mariners lost the series opener on designated Rodriguez's go-ahead home run in the seventh on Friday and Teixeira's blast kept Seattle without a series victory in a three-game set since taking two of three from the Houston Astros from June 19-21.

NOTES: New York activated OF Carlos Beltran from the disabled list after he missed 11 games with a strained left oblique. Beltran did not take any live at-bats against left-handed pitching in three rehab games but said he batted right-handed while taking swings in the batting cage. ... The Yankees optioned 2B Rob Refsnyder to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after the prospect was 2-for-12 in four games. "I'd be lying to say that I wasn't anxious to get to this level to kind of see what the quality of baseball was, how much of a difference," Refsndyer said. "I felt comfortable. I never felt overwhelmed. I took a lot of positives out of it. I competed, I helped the team win and it was a good experience." ... LHP J.A. Happ is slated to start Monday in Detroit after throwing a bullpen session and a few side sessions at Class A Bakersfield. .. After the game, the Mariners optioned 1B/DH Jesus Montero to Triple-A Tacoma. Montero was 2-for-2 Sunday and had three hits in 10 at-bats in his return to the majors.