Mariners hold off Dodgers after closer Steve Cishek struggles

PEORIA, Ariz. – It got wild at the end Saturday, which wasn’t a good thing since the Seattle Mariners had their closer on the mound, but Steve Cishek stranded the tying and go-ahead runs in a 7-6 victory over the Dodgers.

“We got Cishek’s (number of) pitches up,” M’s manager Scott Servais deadpanned, “so that was a good thing.”

Cishek inherited a 7-4 lead but began the ninth inning by allowing a walk, an RBI triple, an RBI single and another single. That resulted in two runs and put runners at first and second with no outs.

But Jimmy Allen popped out on a sacrifice bunt before Cishek struck out the next two hitters in closing out the victory.

“Cishek got a few balls up,” Servais said, “but to his credit, he made pitches as the end. He executed, which is good to see.

“That’s going to happen during the season. When you give up a couple or you’re not quiet as sharp, but you figure out a way to get through it. That’s what he did today. That as a good sign for me.”

Before the hectic ending, the Mariners (13-12-2) overcame two early deficits behind a 12-hit attack. Kyle Seager had three hits, including a two-run double in the seventh inning that broke a 4-all tie.

Lefty Wade Miley recovered from the Dodgers’ two-run first inning by allowing just one additional run in working through the sixth. He gave up eight hits but just one walk and struck out five in a 89-pitch outing.

“I tried to treat that one like a (regular-season) game,” he said. “Let’s go out and compete. Try to win a ballgame. It’s the last long one before the (regular) season.”

The Mariners erased a 2-0 deficit in the first against Dodgers lefty Scott Kazmir after Ketel Marte led off with a double, and Seager followed with a triple.

They trailed 3-2 when Marte tied in with an inside-the-park homer in the fifth. He sent a drive to deep center that Trayce Thompson couldn’t handle. When Thompson tumbled to the ground, Marte circled the bases.

The Mariners took a 4-3 lead in the sixth on Seth Smith’s leadoff homer, but the Dodgers (11-11-3) tied it in the seventh when Jacob Scavuzzo led off with a homer against Tony Zych.