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Seattle Mariners

Mariners get into clubhouse brawl, then lose to Orioles 5-3

Seattle Mariners right fielder Ben Gamel leaps to make the catch on a ball hit by Baltimore Orioles
Seattle Mariners right fielder Ben Gamel leaps to make the catch on a ball hit by Baltimore Orioles' Austin Wynns during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018, in Seattle. (John Froschauer / AP)
Associated Press

SEATTLE – A rough day for the Seattle Mariners that began with a clubhouse brawl ended with Baltimore rookie Renato Nunez and the Orioles rallying for a 5-3 win Tuesday night.

Mariners shortstop Jean Segura, catcher Mike Zunino and several other players were involved in the skirmish four hours before the game at Safeco Field. Moments after second baseman Dee Gordon politely asked reporters to leave the locker room, the double doors burst open with players shoving and shouting.

“With how our season has gone, the frustration mounts,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said soon after the incident. “Along the way, there are bumps in the road.”

The Orioles had 15 hits and scored all five runs in the final three innings. Nunez had three hits, including a home run to start a four-run seventh.

Mariners starter Wade LeBlanc pitched six shutout innings, but the Orioles got five hits off three relievers in the seventh to take a 4-1 lead.

Alex Cobb (5-15) gave up a homer to Robinson Cano in the first before shutting out the Mariners for the next five innings before leaving the game. Mychal Givens earned his sixth save.

Seattle rallied for two runs in the eighth after loading the bases on two hits and a walk, but Chris Hermann struck out to end the inning with runners at first and second.

LeBlanc had thrown only 68 pitches when Servais elected to go to the bullpen in the seventh inning with a 1-0 lead.

After Nunez’s homer off Adam Warren (2-2), Jonathan Villar had a RBI single off Zach Duke, Breyvic Valera scored on a grounder and Trey Mancini had an RBI double to right off Nick Vincent.

Seattle was 46-25 on June 16 and 11 1/2 games ahead of Oakland in the wild-card standings. The Mariners are now 77-62 and 5 1/2 games behind the A’s in the chase for the second A.L. wild-card spot.