Seattle bullpen picks up shaky Diaz, delivers in extras

HOUSTON — A Mariners bullpen that hadn’t allowed a hit over 11 2/3 innings finally cracked in the bottom of the ninth inning on Monday as young closer Edwin Diaz gave up four hits and two runs — and a two-run lead — in a critical game against the Astros.

But such is the resilient nature of this club that Diaz wiggled out of that precarious position by retiring the final two batters with the winning run perched on third, then Seattle won it, 4-3, in the 11th on a second home run by Robinson Cano. With the win, Seattle moved to two game back in the American League Wild Card race.

And while Diaz coughed up the lead in one of his rare blips, the rest of the bullpen applied the clamps again with a perfect 10th by Drew Storen before Nick Vincent earned his third save of the season with a scoreless 11th.

Diaz had allowed just two hits and one run with no walks and 11 strikeouts in his previous nine September outings, but the 22-year-old really is still learning on the job. And despite his third blown save in 20 chances, the Mariners picked him up in this one.

“He’s a young kid and he’s going to have a bump here or there,” said Vincent. “But the kid has electric stuff. I think that’s what motivated me even …

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