Stewart’s go-ahead, 3-run home run lifts Reds to 5-3 victory over Mariners

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SEATTLE (AP) — Sal Stewart hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh inning to lift the Cincinnati Reds past the Seattle Mariners 5-3 on Wednesday.

The Mariners (51-52) slid a game behind Texas (51-50) in the AL West with their second straight loss after winning the series opener against the Reds.

Stewart hit his team-leading 21st home run of the season on a first-pitch sinker from Mariners reliever Eduard Bazardo (3-3) with two outs to make it 5-3. Bazardo walked Edwin Arroyo and gave up a single to Ke’Bryan Hayes before Stewart’s homer.

Emilio Pagán pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his ninth save and second in as many days.

JJ Bleday also went deep for Cincinnati, hitting a solo shot off Mariners starter Emerson Hancock in the fourth inning to tie it at 2. Hancock, who threw six innings of two-run ball, gave up one more run in the inning on an RBI single by Dane Myers.

Seattle twice took leads against Reds starter Brady Singer (5-9), who allowed three runs in 6⅔ innings. The Mariners went up 1-0 in the second on an RBI single by Cal Raleigh and then 3-2 in the fourth on a two-run single by Luke Raley.

Raleigh, last year’s AL MVP runner-up, drove in six runs during the series, including a grand slam on Monday.

Seattle infielder J.P. Crawford missed his third straight game with a sore wrist. Outfielder Julio Rodriguez, who came off the bench Tuesday night due to injury, was Seattle’s designated hitter and batted second.

Both the Mariners and Reds are off Thursday. RHP Bryce Miller (4-4, 2.27 ERA) gets the ball for Seattle on Friday against Texas. RHP Rhett Lowder (3-7, 5.75) will start for Cincinnati against Cardinals RHP Dustin May (5-7, 4.78) on Friday night.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb