Shed Long Jr. stars again as Mariners top Rockies 2-1

SEATTLE – Shed Long Jr. hit a solo homer with one out in the eighth inning that lifted Seattle over the Colorado Rockies 2-1 on Tuesday night, the Mariners’ fifth straight victory.

Two days after Long hit a game-ending grand slam in the 10th inning to complete a four-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays, the lefty came through again with another late long ball for the Mariners.

Long drove a 1-1 pitch from Colorado’s Tyler Kinley (1-2) to straightaway center field. It was the second straight appearance in which Kinley gave up homer after he blew a save opportunity last Saturday against Milwaukee.

Paul Sewald (4-2) worked the eighth inning for Seattle to get the win. Kendall Graveman pitched the ninth for his sixth save and first since May 16.

The Mariners have won eight of nine.

Seattle starter Chris Flexen was on the cusp of another dominant performance before C.J. Cron’s solo homer with two outs in the seventh inning pulled the Rockies even at 1.

Cron caught up to a 95 mph fastball and drove it to right-center field for his 10th homer of the season.

The home run snapped Flexen’s streak of scoreless innings at 15. But other than the brief troubles in the seventh, Flexen was outstanding. He struck out six and didn’t allow a hit until Brendan Rodgers’ single in the fifth inning. Flexen has allowed three earned runs or less in four of his past five starts.

Colorado starter Kyle Freeland recovered from three rough starts to post his best outing of the season.

Freeland had allowed 18 earned runs in his past three outings, including nine home runs, but managed to stymie Seattle’s bats.

Freeland scattered five hits and struck out seven. The only run allowed came on J.P. Crawford’s infield hit with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth inning. But the Mariners missed out on their chance at a big inning on Dylan Moore’s baserunning mistake that became the third out.