SEATTLE -- Twelve hits and a strong outing from Hisashi Iwakuma were enough for the Seattle Mariners to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 Tuesday night.

Robinson Cano had three hits, and Nelson Cruz hit his 20th home run of the season as the Mariners (39-38) improved to 9-2 in interleague games. Cano had three singles, an RBI and two runs, while Cruz delivered the big hit with a two-run homer in the fifth.

Cruz's blast gave the Mariners a 5-0 lead.

"We have a good team," Cruz said. "We can do a lot of things, not just the long ball."

Cruz became the only active player to hit 20 home runs or more in each of the past eight seasons, dating back to 2009. Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz and New York Yankees catcher Brian McCann could match him later this year.

"Just to be able to play a lot of games. That's how you put the numbers up," Cruz said when asked about the eight-year streak. "You've got to play games to be able to put the numbers up. I've been blessed to stay healthy and play the games."

Iwakuma (7-6) allowed two runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings. He had a shutout going into the seventh, when the Pirates scored on an RBI triple from Starling Marte and an RBI single by David Freese.

"I was able to execute when I needed to," Iwakuma said through an interpreter. "I stayed ahead in counts, and it worked out well."

Seattle reliever Edwin Diaz came on for Iwakuma and held the lead into the ninth, when closer Steve Cishek took over and earned his 18th save of the season with a scoreless inning.

Kyle Seager also had three hits for Seattle, including a seventh-inning double that resulted in an inning-ending putout at home plate when Dae-Ho Lee tried to score from first base.

Gregory Polanco had two hits and scored a run for the Pirates (37-41).

The Mariners did all their fifth-inning damage with two outs, as Pittsburgh starter Jonathon Niese got the first two batters before giving up a walk, three singles and a home run.

"The two-out walk complicated things," manager Clint Hurdle said, "and the inning just got away from (Niese)."

Niese (6-6) allowed five runs, four earned, on nine hits over 4 2/3 innings.

Cano had singles in each of his first three at-bats, including an RBI hit in the bottom of the fifth that gave the Mariners a 3-0 lead.

Leonys Martin led off the Seattle third inning with a single, moved to third on a Shawn O'Malley single, then scored from third base on a double-play groundout for a 1-0 lead.

One inning later, with two outs and runners on first and second base, Seager drove a ball high off the wall in right-center field. The ball floated enough to give both baserunners pause, so Seager had to settle for a single to load the bases. One batter later, Chris Iannetta flied out to center, scoring Cano from third to put Seattle up 2-0.

Hurdle and Pittsburgh hitting coach Jeff Branson both got tossed from the game in the fifth inning. Branson argued balls and strikes with plate umpire Ben May from the dugout after the first pitch of the fifth, and May turned toward the visiting dugout and ejected him. Hurdle then came out onto the field and argued vehemently with May, who ejected the manager about a minute later.

Hurdle said after the game that the frustration with balls and strikes was building for a few games.

"You don't get three strikes early in the inning, and that's been happening lately," he said. "It was just trending in a bad way. ...

"It's a part of the game; it always has been, and it will always be there. You just don't have to like it. And sometimes you've got to let people know that you don't like it."

NOTES: Seattle RHP Felix Hernandez threw a 15-pitch bullpen session Tuesday, and he could be on the way to coming back from the disabled list in the next couple weeks. Hernandez (strained calf) had not thrown off a mound since making his last start May 28. ... With LHP Wade Miley set to come off the disabled list, the Mariners have restructured their starting rotation for the near future. Miley is scheduled to start against the Pirates on Wednesday and RHP Taijuan Walker, who missed his last start with a sore right foot, is set to return to the mound in Thursday's game against Baltimore. LHP Wade LeBlanc is the scheduled starter for Friday, meaning RHP Nathan Karns will head to the bullpen. ... The last time Pittsburgh had an interleague road trip on the West Coast, the Pirates went 5-0 with victories over the Angels and Mariners.