Mariners sink Pirates, extend interleague success
SEATTLE -- Robinson Cano had three hits, and Seattle teammate Nelson Cruz hit his 20th home run of the season as the Mariners beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 Tuesday night.
Cano had three singles, an RBI and two runs as Seattle (39-38) improved to 9-2 in interleague play this season.
Cruz's two-run home run gave the Mariners a 5-0 lead in the fifth inning. Pittsburgh (37-41) scored twice in the seventh off tiring Seattle starter Hisashi Iwakuma.
Iwakuma (7-6) allowed two runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings. He had a shutout going into the seventh, when the Pirates scored on an RBI triple from Starling Marte and an RBI single by David Freese.
Seattle reliever Edwin Diaz came on for Iwakuma and held the lead into the ninth, when closer Steve Cishek took over and earned his 18th save of the season with a scoreless inning.
Kyle Seager also had three hits for Seattle, including a seventh-inning double that resulted in an inning-ending putout at home plate when Dae-Ho Lee tried to score from first base.
Gregory Polanco had two hits and scored a run for the Pirates.
Cruz's home run, a two-run shot, put Seattle ahead 5-0 in the fifth. The Mariners did all their fifth-inning damage with two outs, as Pittsburgh starter Jonathon Niese got the first two batters before giving up a walk, three singles and a home run.
Niese (6-6) allowed five runs, four earned, on nine hits over 4 2/3 innings.
Cano had singles in each of his first three at-bats, including an RBI hit in the bottom of the fifth that gave the Mariners a 3-0 lead.
Seattle used four singles, a walk and a sacrifice fly to take a 2-0 lead through the fourth inning.
The Mariners' Leonys Martin led off the third inning with a single, moved to third on a Shawn O'Malley single, then scored from third base on a double-play groundout for a 1-0 Seattle lead.
One inning later, with two outs and runners on first and second base, Seager drove a ball high off the wall in right-center field. The ball floated enough to give both baserunners pause, so Seager had to settle for a single to load the bases. One batter later, Chris Iannetta flied out to center, scoring Cano from third to put Seattle up 2-0.
Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle and hitting coach Jeff Branson both got tossed from the game in the fifth inning. Branson argued balls and strikes with plate umpire Ben May from the dugout after the first pitch of the fifth, and May turned toward the visiting dugout and ejected him. Hurdle then came out onto the field and argued vehemently with May, who ejected the manager about a minute later.
NOTES: Seattle RHP Felix Hernandez threw a 15-pitch bullpen session Tuesday, and he could be on the way to coming back from the disabled list in the next couple weeks. Hernandez (strained calf) had not thrown off a mound since making his last start May 28. ... With LHP Wade Miley set to come off the disabled list, the Mariners have restructured their starting rotation for the near future. Miley is scheduled to start against the Pirates on Wednesday and RHP Taijuan Walker, who missed his last start with a sore right foot, is set to return to the mound in Thursday's game against Baltimore. LHP Wade LeBlanc is the scheduled starter for Friday, meaning RHP Nathan Karns will head to the bullpen. ... Seattle DH Nelson Cruz reached 20 home runs for the eighth consecutive year. Boston's David Ortiz and the New York Yankees' Brian McCann are the only other players to hit 20 home runs in each season from 2009-15. ... The last time Pittsburgh had an interleague road trip on the West Coast, the Pirates went 5-0 with victories over the Angels and Mariners.