Mariners get wacky victory

SEATTLE — Rookie Dustin Ackley led off the top of the 10th inning with a double, then raced home with the go-ahead run when Florida reliever Steve Cishek threw a wild pitch during an intentional walk giving the Seattle Mariners a wacky 2-1 win over the Marlins on Sunday night.

The Marlins and Mariners closed out their unique interleague series in which the Marlins were the home team in Seattle’s ballpark, with the latest Sunday night start in Safeco Field history, another pitchers’ duel and one strange finish.

Ackley started the 10th by lining a 2-1 pitch from Randy Choate (0-1) the opposite way into the left-field corner, his first career double and his third hit of the night.

Cishek entered and Miguel Olivo hit a fly ball deep enough to left-center that Ackley was able to race to third ahead of Logan Morrison’s throw.

Cishek had thrown two wide ones to Peguero before slicing one well out of catcher John Buck’s reach and Ackley slid home just ahead of the throw.

Seattle reliever David Pauley (5-1) pitched a perfect ninth inning before turning it over to Brandon League in the 10th. League gave up a one-out single to Buck, but got a groundout by Wes Helms and pop out by Omar Infante for his American League-leading 21st save in 24 chances.

Seattle took two of three from the Marlins and moved back within 11/2 games of Texas in the A.L. West.

The conclusion of the night was odd in every sense. Ackley’s run didn’t end the game, Peguero was ahead 3-0 in the count against Cishek but eventually struck out, and League had to pitch the bottom of an inning at home to get the save.

But this one should have been decided long before the 10th. Seattle left runners on in every inning, but managed only Brendan Ryan’s RBI single in the fifth that scored starting pitcher Doug Fister, who had doubled with one out.

No offensive stumble was worse than in the ninth, when Mike Carp worked a leadoff walk from Marlins closer Leo Nunez when a 3-2 pitch missed low. Chone Figgins pinch-ran, but was left at first base when Ichiro Suzuki failed twice to get a sacrifice bunt down in fair territory and then fouled out to third base.

Ryan followed with a foul out to first base. Adam Kennedy walked on four pitches to move Figgins into scoring position, but Justin Smoak popped out to second to end the chance.

Mariners 2, Marlins 1 (10)