SEATTLE -- Leo Rivas , of all people, was the Mariners’ vessel to victory on Wednesday night.

The journeyman infielder belted a walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the 13th inning to lift Seattle to a 4-2 win over the Cardinals, after entering the game as a pinch-runner an inning prior.

With the win, Seattle completed a three-game sweep of St. Louis and has now won five straight, marking the fourth time this season in which it has won that many in a row.

The club needed it, too, as both the teams that it was scoreboard-watching -- Houston and Texas -- were also victorious. The Mariners remained one game behind the Astros for first place in the American League West and 1 1/2 games ahead of the Rangers for the final AL Wild Card spot .

Seattle has now won 16 of its past 19 ga

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