On an ugly night when they made four errors and did several things to give away a winnable game, the Mariners got the one key play needed Monday to close out a 6-5 win over the Atlanta Braves.
Up a run in the ninth, closer Edwin Diaz gave up a leadoff single to Ender Inciarte, who represented the tying run.
But with one out, Mike Zunino was able to cut down Inciarte on a stolen-base attempt. Diaz then got the ultra-dangerous Freddie Freeman to ground out to end the game. It was Diaz’s 28th save of the season.
The Mariners improved to 64-62.
Seattle starter Andrew Albers was credited with five innings pitched, giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits with a two walks and three strikeouts.
He helped himself in the top of the second, notching his first big-league hit — a bases-loaded ground ball off the bare hand of Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz for a brief 1-0 lead
The Mariners would eventually take a 6-2 lead and seem poised for a non-descript, drama-free win.
Instead, the season-long struggle to work a clean sixth inning turned the game into stomach-churning grind for manager Scott Servais.
After retiring the previous seven batters, Albers started the sixth but never recorded an out. A catcher’s interference call on Mike Zunino on a swing by Matt Kemp put the lead-off runner on base. Nick Markakis followed with a soft single to right to end Albers’ outing.
His replacement, Emilio Pagan, fared no better. After getting Kurt Suzuki to pop out, Pagan gave up a two-run triple to Ozzie Albers and a deep sac fly to Dansby Swanson. The Mariners’ four-run lead had dwindled to one run. Seattle got a break to get out of the inning with a lead. The ultra speedy Lane Adams tried to score from second on a ground ball that Robinson Cano bobbled. But Cano fired home and got him even with a MLB replay review that made the out call on the field seem somewhat questionable.
Yonder Alonso continued to show why the Mariners acquired him from the A’s. The veteran first baseman had a big night, going 3 for 5 with two doubles and three runs batted in. His two-out RBI double in the sixth proved to be the difference.
Over his last eight games, Alonso is batting .433 (13 for 30) with three doubles, a homer and eight RBIs.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
DIAMONDBACKS 3, METS 2 Diamondbacks center fielder A.J. Pollock hammered a two-run homer in the 10th inning, providing enough cushion to send the Mets to a 3-2 loss Monday night.
Michael Conforto’s 27th homer of the season, a solo shot to lead off the 10th off Diamondbacks closer Fernando Rodney, wasn’t enough to make up for a squandered opportunity that would loom large.
The Mets missed a chance to pull ahead in the seventh when Yoenis Cespedes ripped a bases-loaded single to left. Travis d’Arnaud scored easily to tie the score 1-1, but Asdrubal Cabrera was cut down at the plate.
Mets right-hander Robert Gsellman allowed one run and five hits in 6 1/3 innings, an encouraging step in his second start since coming off the disabled list with a hamstring injury.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
INDIANS 5, RED SOX 4 Brandon Guyer scored when first baseman Brock Holt threw away Roberto Perez’s bunt in the ninth inning, lifting the Cleveland Indians over the Boston Red Sox 5-4 on Monday night in a matchup of first-place teams.
After Guyer’s leadoff double against Brandon Workman (0-1), Holt fielded the bunted ball and tried to throw out Guyer at third. Guyer slid into the bag as the throw skipped past third baseman Rafael Devers, then got to his feet and raced across home plate. Teammates ran onto the field and doused Perez with water and white powder. Perez also had a three-run homer in the second inning.
Cody Allen (1-6) allowed Christian Vazquez’s lead-off single in the ninth, but retired the next three hitters. The inning ended when shortstop Francisco Lindor ran down Mookie Betts’ popup in center field with his back to home plate.
ORIOLES 7, ATHLETICS 3 Adam Jones hit a pair of home runs, Jonathan Schoop added a three-run shot and Baltimore beat the Oakland Athletics 7-3 on Monday night. The Orioles won for the second time in six games, but they are still in the thick of the wild-card race.
Wade Miley (7-10) held the A’s to two runs, five hits and four walks over six-plus innings to pick up his first win at Camden Yards since June 17. The left-hander is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA against Oakland this season.
Jones tied a career high with four hits and is one home run shy of reaching 25 for the seventh consecutive season. Zach Britton got the final out with two runners on for his 11th save this season and his 60th in a row.