Mariners edge O's behind Erasmo, stingy 'pen

SEATTLE -- The Mariners treaded water with a win Monday night, beating the Orioles, 2-1, to remain 5 1/2 games behind the Athletics -- who beat the Yankees in Oakland -- for the second spot in the American League Wild Card race.
Dee Gordon drove home the game's deciding run with a sacrifice fly that scored Cameron Maybin, who tripled to lead off the fifth inning as part of a 2-for-3 night.
"[Manager Scott Servais] just talked to me about being a little bit more aggressive, that's all," said Maybin, who was in an 0-for-20 slump entering Monday's game. "It was good to get that kind of 'OK' to be a little more aggressive and today I was and I'll just continue to work on it."

Erasmo Ramírez earned the victory after lasting 5 1/3 innings, striking out five and allowing just a pair of baserunners: one on a Jonathan Villar solo shot and another on a broken-bat single by Tim Beckham. The Mariners' bullpen held Baltimore to one hit the rest of the way, a one-out single by Joey Rickard in the eighth off Alex Colome.
The start represented a bounceback for Ramirez, who took a loss and allowed seven runs last time out in against the Padres.
"I think that the only difference between this game and the last one is just, I was throwing better strikes and quality strikes," Ramirez said. "Executing better. Throwing balls [ahead in the count] … not in the middle part [of the plate] like I did in San Diego."
The Mariners' offense quickly responded after Villar's homer put them in a 1-0 hole in the fourth inning. Ryon Healy delivered an RBI single after back-to-back walks from Robinson Canó and Nelson Cruz, though Healy would be cut down trying to stretch his single to a double for the second out of the inning.

"The Healy [baserunning] situation, I think he'd be the first to admit, not a great decision," Servais said. "But Ryon's been swinging the bat great. Really happy with him at the batter's box. He made some nice adjustments here over the last probably seven or eight games and it's really paying for him."
Edwin Díaz struck out the side in the ninth to earn his 52nd save of the season and his 26th one-run save, both of which lead baseball. Diaz is now in a tie for eighth place on the single-season saves list, as Eric Gagne accomplished the same feat in 2002.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
With two outs in the seventh inning, Gordon let a routine fly ball to shallow center field hit off his glove, a two-base error that put the tying run in scoring position.
Nick Vincent struck out Renato Núñez in the following at-bat to end the threat for the Mariners.
"We're asking a lot of Dee Gordon, and I think people need to understand that," Servais said. "For him to move around the field and do it with the right attitude and swag -- and you gotta be real, Dee likes to have swag on the field. He's done a great job in the infield for us, asking him to go to the outfield once in a while, it's one of those plays that happen. Gotta let it go, move on, and he'll be in there tomorrow."

SOUND SMART
With a triple to left-center field in the fifth inning, Mitch Haniger extended his hitting streak to 15 games, the longest active streak in the Majors. During that span, Haniger is batting .317 (20-for-63) with nine extra-base hits and 12 runs scored.

HE SAID IT
"Not a lot to talk about offensively tonight. The story of the night was pitching, and we had enough of it to get it done." -- Servais
UP NEXT
The Mariners will turn to Wade LeBlanc (8-3, 3.71 ERA) on Tuesday night as they continue their three-game series with Baltimore at Safeco Field. LeBlanc was spotted five runs in the top of the first inning before he took the hill last time out against Oakland, and he went on to shut out the Athletics over seven innings to earn the victory. The Orioles will counter with Alex Cobb (4-15, 5.11), who is tied for the MLB lead in losses this year. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. PT.