Cubs fall to Mariners in 10 innings
SEATTLE — Mike Zunino hit a game-ending single in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift the Seattle Mariners to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night.
Michael Saunders and Raul Ibanez led off the 10th with back-to-back walks before Blake Parker (0-1) was relieved by Shawn Camp. Jason Bay advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt, and Justin Smoak was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. Zunino then worked the count full before singling up the middle.
Yoervis Medina (3-2) pitched the 10th to earn the win. Oliver Perez struck out the side in the ninth, his 12 consecutive scoreless inning pitched.
Alfonso Soriano and Dioner Navarro homered for the Cubs, who ended a two-game winning streak.
Bay hit his ninth home run and Nick Franklin had two doubles among his three hits for the Mariners, who had lost two in a row.
Cubs starter Travis Wood left in position for his first win in five starts after allowing two runs on three hits and striking out six in 6 1-3 innings, but Chicago’s bullpen failed, leaving Wood winless since May 30.
The Cubs had a 4-2 lead going into the eighth with James Russell on the mound. Franklin led off with a double and Kendrys Morales drove him home with a one-out double.
Ibanez followed with a run-scoring triple on a line drive that got past sliding left fielder Brian Bogusevic and rolled to the wall, tying the game at 4.
Mariners starter Hisashi Iwakuma pitched eight innings, with four runs and six hits allowed. He struck out five. It was the fourth time this season Iwakuma has completed eight innings, and all four times he has come away with a no decision.
The Cubs led 2-1 going into the seventh and added to their lead with a pair of home runs, both coming on the first pitch. Soriano led off with a drive just inside the left field foul pole, his eighth. With two outs Novarro also hit his eighth homer to right-center.
The Cubs took advantage of a throwing error by Franklin, Seattle’s second baseman, in the second inning to take a 2-0 lead. Soriano led off the inning with a single, and with one out Ryan Sweeney hit a hard grounder down the first base line that got into the deep right field corner for a triple. Soriano scored and second baseman Franklin’s relay throw home got past catcher Zunino, allowing Sweeney to score on the error and giving the Cubs a 2-0 lead.
The Mariners didn’t get a hit until the fourth inning when Franklin led off with a double and didn’t score until Bay homered to lead off the fifth. All nine of Bay’s home runs this season have been solo shots.
Seattle scored again in the seventh. After Bay led off with a walk and Dustin Ackley was called out on strikes, Carlos Villanueva came on to replace Wood. Bay went to third on Zunino’s bloop single, and Brad Miller — making his major league debut after being called up from Triple-A Tacome before the game — drove in Bay with a fielder’s choice.
NOTES: Miller was the eighth player to make his MLB debut with Seattle this season. He was 0 for 3 with a walk, RBI and stolen base. ... Seattle optioned INF Carlos Triunfel to Tacoma and designated INF Alex Liddi for assignment. ... The Mariners started Dustin Ackley at CF for the first time. ... The Cubs have homered in a season-high eight straight games.