SEATTLE - Jason Vargas getting rocked again at home was an afterthought for the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.

The bigger concern is what's going on at the top of their batting order.

Vargas lasted just three innings and was knocked around for six runs, and Seattle's offense managed just a solo homer by Justin Smoak off New York ace CC Sabathia in the Mariners' 7-1 loss to the Yankees.

Seattle was trying to sweep New York for the first time in nine seasons. Instead, the day raised only more concerns about the slumps of Ichiro Suzuki and Chone Figgins.

The duo were a combined 0 for 8 on Sunday and combined are hitless in their last 30 at-bats. Figgins doesn't have a hit in his last 19 at bats, while Suzuki's streak is at 11.

"He will have to work his way out of it," Seattle manager Eric Wedge said. "He's going through a tough stretch, (Figgins) is going through a tough stretch. We just have to work and try to help them work through this and fight through it and get back on track."

Getting Suzuki going is more difficult for Wedge and his staff to decipher solutions. Wedge admitted before Sunday's game that because Suzuki has such a unique batting approach, figuring out ways to snap the slump is tougher.

They'd better come up with something soon. Since standing at .312 on May 11, Suzuki's average has plummeted to .272.

Figgins is even more of a mess. He's got just two hits in his last 36 at bats over a span of eight games. He's hitting a measly .193 and his on-base percentage is just .235.

Suzuki had a chance to come up with a clutch hit in the fifth inning on Sunday against Sabathia, who he's fared well against in the past. But Suzuki tapped back to the mound to start a 1-2-3 double play with the bases loaded and end one of Seattle's best scoring threats.

The Mariners only run came on Justin Smoak's solo homer in the sixth inning, his seventh homer of the season. Otherwise, Seattle managed just five hits off Sabathia.

"He is always good," Smoak said. "That is a guy you just try to battle and scratch and do what you can to get on base."

Vargas struggled with his control early and that was before he got tagged for five runs in the third inning. Nick Swisher hit his third homer of the season in the second, a line drive into the Yankees' bullpen in left.

But it was the third that broke it open. It started with Derek Jeter's second walk, although Jeter was later thrown out at home trying to score on Alex Rodriguez's infield grounder to third. Catcher Chris Gimenez made a nice play to grab a high throw from Figgins and get the tag on Jeter in time.

Jeter was the second out of the inning, but Vargas' problems were just starting. Cano singled sharply to right to score Curtis Granderson and give Cano eight hits in 12 career at-bats against Vargas. Swisher then walked on a 3-2 pitch that barely missed the outside corner to load the bases.

"Swisher's walk kind of changed that inning around for them," Vargas said.

Vargas got ahead of Jones 1-2 before Jones fouled two straight pitches. Vargas then left a cutter over the outside corner and Jones drove it into the right field corner clearing the bases, although replays showed the inning should have ended with the Yankees ahead just 4-0. Swisher was tagged out on the elbow by Gimenez, but home plate umpire Gerry Davis' view was blocked and called Swisher safe.

Eduardo Nunez then followed with a triple to deep left-center and Jones trotted home before Vargas finally got out of the inning.