Sierra Comes Through for Mariners in a Pinch

Pinch-hitter Ruben Sierra singled home the winning run in the 10th inning and the Seattle Mariners defeated Texas, 3-2, Wednesday night.

It was Seattle’s their third consecutive extra-inning victory over the Rangers.

Seattle remained seven games back in the American League wild-card race with 10 games to play.

Jeff Cirillo singled against Dennys Reyes (4-3), Ichiro Suzuki sacrificed, Mike Cameron walked and Edgar Martinez was walked intentionally.

Sierra then singled down the left-field line against Francisco Cordero. Texas had played six infielders, all drawn in, and two outfielders.

Kazuhiro Sasaki (4-5) pitched the 10th.

In a vintage Lou Piniella tantrum, the Mariner manager was thrown out in the bottom of the ninth after Ben Davis was thrown out at first base on a close play that ended the inning.

The 59-year-old Piniella threw his hat, kicked his hat, kicked the infield dirt, picked up first base and heaved it down the right-field line twice, and bench coach John McLaren restrained him from getting to umpire C.B. Bucknor, who ejected Piniella.

With runners at third base and second base, Davis hit a ball off pitcher Jay Powell’s glove to second baseman Michael Young, who barely got Davis at first.

Saying he was tired after going five for 32 in his previous eight games, All-Star Alex Rodriguez did not start.

But Rodriguez came in as pinch-hitter in the ninth and went to shortstop, increasing his consecutive-game streak to 377 games, third longest in the major leagues.

Texas took a 2-0 lead in the second on Carl Everett’s run-scoring double and Herbert Perry’s run-scoring single.

Cirillo hit a run-scoring single in the bottom half, and Desi Relaford’s run-scoring single tied it in the third.

Ismael Valdes, acquired by Seattle from Texas on Aug. 18, gave up two runs and seven hits in seven innings.