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WASHINGTON (AP) — Jesse Winker hit his second solo homer of the day and the Seattle Mariners won their 10th straight game, edging the Washington Nationals 2-1 on Wednesday night to sweep a doubleheader.
The Mariners have 10 consecutive wins for the first time since April 8-17, 2002. Their only longer winning streak was a 15-game run from May 23-June 8, 2001 — the last year they made the playoffs. Seattle is second in the AL West, well behind Houston but squarely in wild-card contention.
The Mariners won the opener 6-4, getting a three-run homer from Eugenio Suárez and six solid innings from Chris Flexen, who won his fourth straight start.
Winker also homered in the afternoon game, his first after serving a six-game suspension for his role in a brawl with the Los Angeles Angels on June 26.
Tommy Milone (1-1) pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief to win the nightcap.
All-Star Juan Soto extended his hitting streak to 15 games when he hit his second ninth-inning homer of the day, a solo blast into the upper deck in right off Paul Sewald. Lane Thomas singled with two outs before Sewald struck out Ehire Adrianza for his second save of the day and 12th this year.
Thomas had two hits and a walk for the Nationals, who have lost six straight and 12 of 13 and fell to 30-60, the worst record in the majors.
Washington starter Erick Fedde (5-7) allowed two runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings.
Fedde took a shutout into the sixth, but Winker homered with one out. Adam Frazier hit a sacrifice fly later in the inning against reliever Steve Cishek.
The Nationals loaded the bases on a single and two walks against Matt Brash with two outs in the seventh, but Diego Castillo came on to strike out pinch-hitter Keibert Ruiz.
Adam Frazier and Cal Raleigh also hit solo home runs for Seattle in the opener.
Flexen (6-8) had a 3-0 lead before he threw a pitch and proceeded to give up one run on six hits, while walking two and striking out one. He has a 2.88 ERA over his past seven starts.
Soto, who was caught in a rundown between third and home on Nelson Cruz's double to end the seventh, hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth off Penn Murfee to make it 6-4. But Sewald retired Cruz to end it.
Washington starter Josiah Gray (7-6) allowed five runs on six hits, three of them home runs, in five innings. He walked three and struck out seven.
Gray struggled with his control early, walking two of the first three batters in the first inning before Suárez homered to left.
DUELING STREAKS
Seattle moved ahead of Baltimore for the longest current streak in the majors. The Orioles had won nine straight entering Wednesday night's game at the Chicago Cubs.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: RHP Tanner Rainey was placed on the 60-day injured list with a right UCL sprain, and veteran RHP Tyler Clippard was called up from Triple-A Rochester. Rainey was 1-3 with 12 saves and a 3.30 ERA in 29 games.
UP NEXT
Mariners: LHP Marco Gonzales (5-9, 3.24 ERA) pitches the opener of a four-game series at Texas. He is 8-7 with a 3.75 ERA in 19 starts against the Rangers.
Nationals: RHP Aníbal Sánchez makes his first major league appearance since 2020 when the Nationals open a four-game series against the Braves. Sanchez, who sat out last year, was on the 60-day injured list with a cervical nerve impingement.
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