Rockies 2 - 7 Mariners
Final
  for this game

Cruz's 41st HR among 4 for Mariners in 7-2 win over Rockies

Sep 13, 2015 - 5:18 AM SEATTLE (AP) With four different Seattle Mariners players hitting homers Saturday night, manager Lloyd McClendon could relax a little bit.

''They make you look smart when they hit home runs,'' McClendon said.

Robinson Cano, Jesus Montero, Franklin Gutierrez and Nelson Cruz all homered to lead the Seattle Mariners in a 7-2 win against the Colorado Rockies.

Cruz's two-run homer in the seventh was his 41st, tying Baltimore's Chris Davis for the major league lead. He also had a run-scoring single in the third inning, finishing 2 for 4 with three RBIs.

''He's pretty special,'' McClendon said. ''He makes any ballpark look small.''

Cruz barely missed out on a couple more RBIs in the fourth inning. With two runners on and two out, Cruz lined a ball down the right-field line, but Carlos Gonzalez made a diving catch to end the inning.

Even so, Cruz set his career high for homers and has a shot at his second straight home run title.

''You work in the offseason to get better and try to help your team to get better,'' Cruz said. ''So when you accomplish bigger numbers than the year before it's very important and they matter. They make you work harder to get better.''

Cano's deep homer to right in the second inning opened the scoring and set a milestone. It was the 50th extra-base hit of the season for Cano, who is one of five players to have least 50 extra-base hits in each of his first 11 seasons.

Seattle starter Roenis Elias (5-8) gave up two unearned runs and one hit while striking out eight, but his night ended earlier than he wanted in the sixth inning when the Rockies scored both their runs without getting a hit.

Elias started the inning with a fielding error and then followed it with two straight walks to load the bases. DJ LeMahieu's fielder's choice and Nolan Arenado's sacrifice fly each drove in a run.

''He didn't make that play and seemed to get out of whack a little bit,'' McClendon said of Elias's error.

Colorado starter Yohan Flande (3-3) had an even shorter night, leaving the game after the Mariners scored twice in the fourth inning.

The first run came on Montero's solo homer, his third of the season. The second run started when Arenado's throwing error allowed Shawn O'Malley to reach third base with one out, and he scored on a squeeze bunt by John Hicks to give Seattle a 4-0 lead.

Flande's 3 2/3 innings pitched marked his shortest start of the season. He gave up four runs and six hits.

The Mariners have won three of the last four games and are 12-6 over the last 18 games. After Saturday's win, they are six games back of the second AL wild-card spot with 19 games to play.

''It looks rough,'' Cruz said. ''But we're playing our best. Right now we're playing the best baseball all year.''

DEBUT NIGHT

Colorado catcher Tom Murphy went hitless in his first major league game. Murphy started behind the plate a day after being called up to replace Nick Hundley, who was placed on the 60-day DL with a cervical strain. ''It's something I'll never forget, that's for sure,'' he said.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rockies: SS Jose Reyes was held out of the lineup for the second straight game with a sore Achilles. ''He is better,'' Colorado manager Walt Weiss said. ''I felt like I wanted to give him another day though, because (Friday) he was really sore.''

Mariners: Gutierrez started in left field, his first start since leaving the game on Sept. 4 with a strained right groin. ... Cruz will be limited to designated hitter duties while recovering from a strained right quad. ''He's still nursing it,'' McClendon said. ''I would not anticipate him being in the outfield through this homestand.''

UP NEXT

Rockies: RHP Kyle Kendrick (5-12, 6.25 ERA) will start the series finale, his third start since coming off the disabled list (right shoulder). It will be Kendrick's first career appearance against the Mariners.

Mariners: LHP James Paxton (3-3, 3.70) will make his first start since May 28. Paxton was placed on the disabled list the next day with a strained left middle finger. McClendon said Paxton's finger is fully healed. ''He'll go until he can't go anymore,'' McClendon said.






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