St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) – Chone Figgins’ RBI single in the fifth inning proved to be the difference as Seattle nipped St. Louis, 2-1, in the final test of a three-game interleague set from Busch Stadium.
Ichiro Suzuki collected two hits and Ryan Langerhans knocked in the other run for the Mariners, who won for just the third time in their last 13 games.
Jason Vargas (5-2) turned in 7 2/3 strong innings for the win, scattering five hits and a run with four strikeouts. David Aardsma pitched a scoreless ninth for his 14th save.
David Freese hit safely three times and Ryan Ludwick drove in the lone run for the Cardinals, who had won the first two games in the series.
Jaime Garcia (6-3) suffered his first defeat since May 8, though he allowed only two runs and five hits while fanning seven and walking one over seven innings.
Ludwick had knotted the game, 1-1, in the home fourth with a sacrifice fly, but the Mariners responded with the deciding run in the following frame.
Michael Saunders led off with a single and advanced on a Vargas groundout. Suzuki fanned before Figgins dumped a base hit to center to plate Saunders with the go-ahead score.
Vargas turned aside the Cards in order in the fifth and sixth innings, then worked around a Freese hit with one down in the seventh.
Nick Stavinoha began the eighth with a pinch-hit double and moved up on a sac bunt before Felipe Lopez popped out. Brandon League came on and fanned Matt Holliday swinging.
Aardsma allowed a one-out ground-rule double by Ludwick, but struck out Freese looking and got Colby Rasmus on a grounder to preserve the narrow victory.
Seattle got on the board in the fourth. Milton Bradley and Jose Lopez singled with one out and Josh Wilson was plunked before a fielder’s choice grounder from Langerhans plated Bradley.
St. Louis had won the last five meetings between the teams dating back to July 2, 2004…Both clubs continue interleague play on Friday as the Mariners host Cincinnati and the Cardinals welcome Oakland.