SEATTLE _ The embarrassment of losing a series to the worst team in baseball was avoided. The anemic offense produced five runs on the night and it probably felt like 15 runs in the dugout. A one-run lead was successfully maintained through the seventh inning and even added upon. All of that allowed the Seattle Mariners to hope and dream of the postseason just a little longer with a 5-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night at Safeco Field.
Still, the Mariners didn't actually gain any ground in the race for the second wild card. The A's crushed the New York Yankees, 8-2, in Oakland and maintained a 5 {-game lead.
So while the Mariners didn't lose another game in the race, they lost another day. And that's basically the same. Seattle (78-62) and the A's (83-57) each have 22 games remaining. The Mariners would need to trim that lead down to two or three games before they meet Oakland on Sept. 24-26 at Safeco Field.
Seattle got a solid start from veteran right-hander Mike Leake and back-to-back home runs from Nelson Cruz and Denard Span in a pivotal fifth inning to take a lead that wouldn't be lost.
Leake pitched six innings, allowing just two runs that were unearned on seven hits with no walks and four strikeouts to improve to 9-9 on the season and earn his first win since June 23. Leake had taken six no decisions and five losses in his previous 11 starts.
The Orioles' two runs off of Leake came in a fifth inning that won't be used when putting together highlight reels for the Mariners' defense in 2018.
After allowing a one-out double to Cedric Mullins, Leake got Jonathan Villar to hit a chopper up the middle. Shortstop Jean Segura fielded the play but his throw was a little off. Robinson Cano, who won't be confused with John Olerud at first base, made an awkward attempt to snare the catchable throw, but failed. It allowed Mullins to race home and tie the game at 1-1.
With two outs, Segura mishandled Adam Jones hard one-hopper right at him. The ball ricocheted off his glove and into the outfield, allowing Villar to score from second for a 2-1 lead.
The Mariners committed an error on the next batter as Dee Gordon made a difficult stop in the outfield grass. But his low throw also wasn't handled by Cano.
The two plays and the general level of obvious discomfort at first base that Cano has shown in his returns is a sign that moving him to the position full time in 2019 might not be so simple despite the wishes of some fans.
Leake got out of the inning by getting a ground ball to Kyle Seager, who fielded it cleanly and fired to first for the final out.
But Cruz and Span atoned for their teammates' miscues in the bottom half of the inning. Cruz whacked a majestic solo homer into The 'Pen off Orioles starter Andrew Cashner to tie the score at 2. It was Cruz's 34th homer of the season.
Three pitches later, Span yanked a line drive over the wall in right field for his 11th homer of the season and a 3-2 lead.
Seattle got a scoreless top of the seventh from reliever Shawn Marshall and tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the frame.
Alex Colome followed with a scoreless eighth and Edwin Diaz notched save No. 53 with a 1-2-3 ninth.
The Mariners grabbed a 1-0 lead off of Cashner in the third inning. Mitch Haniger extended his hitting streak to 17 games _ the longest for the Mariners this season _ by swatting a solo homer to deep right center on a hanging breaking ball. It was Haniger's 24th homer of the season.
