Leo Rivas hit a two-run homer leading off the bottom of the 13th as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Wednesday, keeping pace in the American League playoff race.
Idman.biz, citing Reuters, reports that Rivas, who entered as a pinch runner in the 11th, lined the first pitch from Ryan Fernandez just inside the right field foul pole, also scoring Josh Naylor. Emerson Hancock (4-5) pitched two scoreless innings to earn the win.
The Mariners (78-68) won their fifth straight, remaining one game behind the AL West-leading Houston Astros and 1.5 games ahead of the Texas Rangers for the third wild card. Ivan Herrera hit a solo homer for the Cardinals (72-75), who lost their third straight.
Both teams scored in the 11th. Thomas Saggese gave the Cardinals a brief lead with a single, while Seattle’s Jorge Polanco tied it with a run-scoring double. Cardinals reliever Riley O’Brien escaped bases-loaded jams in the 10th and 11th to extend the game. Mariners starter Logan Gilbert lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits, while Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy went six innings, giving up one run on five hits.
The win strengthens Seattle’s playoff positioning and continues their late-season momentum.
Idman.biz
