ST. PETERSBIRG, Fla. (AP) — Marco Gonzales won his fourth straight start and the surging Seattle Mariners beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 Friday night for their 16th win in 20 games.

Gonzales (7-3) pitched into the eighth inning, leaving the game after taking a throw at first base too late to retire a sliding Mallex Smith. The left-hander gave up two runs and five hits in 7 1/3 innings.

Christian Arroyo had a solo homer in the fifth and C.J. Cron added a two-run shot in the eighth off former teammate Alex Colome to pull the Rays within a run.

However, Edwin Diaz got the final four outs for his 22nd save in 25 opportunities, finishing the Mariners’ 20th one-run win of the season and sending the Rays to their eighth straight loss.

Singles by Guillermo Heredia and Daniel Vogelbach helped the Mariners take a 2-0 lead in the third inning off Rays starter Wilmer Font.

Mitch Haniger drove in one of the Mariners’ two runs off Rays reliever Matt Andriese with a single in the fifth, pushing Seattle’s lead to 4-0. It was Haniger’s 47th RBI of the season, tying a career high.

Arroyo’s first home run got the Rays on the board and Cron got them within one with his 14th.

Font (0-3) gave up two runs and two hits while striking out five in 2 1/3 innings in his first major league start. He became the 13th pitcher to start a game for the Rays this season.

An error on third baseman Kyle Seager — Seattle’s first error in 16 games — gave the Rays a scoring opportunity in the third, but Gonzales struck out Matt Duffy with the bases loaded to end it.

Mariners first-base coach Chris Prieto was ejected by hime-plate umpire David Rackley in the middle of the ninth inning.

UP NEXT

Mariners: RHP Felix Hernandez (6-4) will make his 18th career start against Tampa Bay. He is 9-2 against the Rays including his perfect game on Aug. 15, 2012.

Rays: LHP Blake Snell (7-3) is coming off a start last Sunday in Seattle where he struck out 12 over six scoreless innings.