Randy Johnson pitched eight gritty innings, Tony Womack hit a go-ahead single, and the Yankees beat the Seattle Mariners 4-3 last night for their first three-game winning streak of the season.

Tino Martinez homered in his third consecutive game for the Yan kees (14-19), who were coming off consecutive shutouts of Oakland.

Adrian Beltre connected for the Mariners, who have lost eight of nine.

Ichiro Suzuki went 2-for-4 with an RBI single and a strikeout against Johnson, his first regular-season at-bats against the Big Unit.

After missing his previous scheduled start because of a stiff groin, Johnson (3-2) gave up seven hits and two walks against Seattle, striking out seven in his 249th win. On his 119th pitch, he struck out slumping Bret Boone with two on to end the eighth.

Pinch-hitter Rey Sanchez opened the bottom half with a single off Jeff Nelson (0-1) and advanced on Derek Jeter’s sacrifice bunt. Womack then bounced a single up the middle, giving the Yankees a 4-3 lead.

Mariano Rivera worked a perfect ninth for his fourth save in six chances, giving the Yankees three wins a row for the first time since their historic collapse in last year’s A.L. championship series, when they took a 3-0 lead against Boston only to lose the next four.

New York’s pitching is getting healthy against the punchless Athletics and Mariners, who began the day with the two lowest slugging percentages in the majors.

The Yankees skipped Johnson’s previous turn because of his stiff left groin – and he wasn’t happy about it.

In the first inning last night, he appeared to reach for his groin after a pitch to Richie Sexson, bringing head trainer Gene Monahan and manager Joe Torre to the mound.

The Big Unit looked peeved by the visit, speaking sternly before Monahan and Torre returned to the dugout. Sexson then hit a long drive to deep leftcenter, but Hideki Matsui made a nice running catch to save a run.

Matsui’s RBI single off Gil Meche in the bottom half gave New York a 1-0 lead.

Johnson walked no. 9 batter Wilson Valdez in the third. He stole second, went to third on Suzuki’s infield single, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Randy Winn, ending New York’s scoreless streak at 20 innings.

Alex Rodriguez doubled with two outs in the fourth, and Martinez drove a 2-2 pitch over the right-field fence for his fifth homer in 17 at-bats.

Valdez sparked the Mariners again in the fifth, hitting a two-out double and scoring on Suzuki’s soft single to left. Johnson then picked Suzuki off first base.

Beltre’s third homer of the season tied it at 3 in the sixth.

Johnson has not given up a first-inning run in 15 starts dating to last season.