Zunino’s HR Spurs Seattle Past A’s 3-2

SEATTLE (AP) — Struggling Mike Zunino delivered the go-ahead home run in the seventh inning and Seattle held on for a 3-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Thursday night, keeping the Mariners on the edge of the AL wild card chase.

Seattle is two games behind Baltimore and Toronto with three games to play. The Orioles defeated the Blue Jays 4-0 to pull even atop the wild card race. Detroit, which was rained out against Cleveland, is a half-game ahead of the Mariners.

Zunino, hitting .139 over his last 25 games, opened the seventh with his 12th home run, sending a 2-2 pitch from Liam Hendriks (0-4) deep over the wall in left.

Seattle added a run in the eighth on a two-out single by Leonys Martin, a walk to Zunino and Ketel Marte's RBI single.

Steve Cishek (4-6) came on to stifle an Oakland threat in the seventh with an inning-ending double play and added a perfect eighth. Rookie Edwin Diaz notched his 18th save, despite allowing a run and three hits in the ninth.