SEATTLE -- When Jerry Sands got called up from Triple-A Columbus on Thursday, he knew there was a chance he might not be with the Cleveland Indians for long. First baseman Carlos Santana was on paternity leave after the birth of a daughter, and Sands arrived at Safeco Field only to sit for two straight games.

When he finally got his chance Saturday, the journeyman outfielder delivered.

Sands hit a two-run home run in the second inning to help the Indians jump out to an early lead before Cleveland held on to beat the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Saturday night.

"It feels real good," Sands said after hitting his first home run as an. "Obviously, I've been ready to play since I've been here. When they called my number, I was ready to get in there and help this team."

Sands gave the Indians a 3-0 lead before being lifted for pinch-hitter David Murphy in the sixth, with Cleveland clinging to a 3-2 lead. Murphy promptly singled in a run to give Cleveland some breathing room.

"They pressured us all game, and we hung on and on," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "But we did some things to hang on."

The Mariners pulled within a run in the seventh and had several chances to tie or take the lead but couldn't get the clutch hit. Seattle was 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

Indians closer Cody Allen came on to get the final out of the eighth and ended up with his 11th save of the season. He pitched more than an inning for the first time this season.

After giving up a leadoff single to Austin Jackson in the ninth, Allen got Seth Smith to fly out and finished the save when Seattle second baseman Robinson Cano grounded into a game-ending double play.

"We had opportunities tonight," Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. "We just couldn't get it done. It certainly wasn't for a lack of effort."

Cleveland starter Shaun Marcum (2-0) picked up the win after giving up five hits and two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.

"I don't know if I'd call it a good outing," Marcum said, "but I was able to make some pitches when I had to."

The Indians (22-27) overcame a two-run homer from Cano, who was in the starting lineup for the first time since Wednesday because of flulike symptoms. Cano hit his second home run of the season in the third, pulling the Mariners to within 3-2.

Seattle has now hit at least one home run in nine consecutive games.

Mariners starter Roenis Elias (2-2) allowed four earned runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings, walking four with three strikeouts. Elias had allowed just three runs in his previous three starts, a span of 20 innings, but McClendon said after Saturday's game that he had a stiff back when he took the mound.

The sixth-inning RBI single from Murphy gave the Indians a 4-2 lead before Seattle got the run back with a Dustin Ackley RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.

Trailing 4-3, Seattle loaded the bases in the seventh but couldn't capitalize, as third baseman Kyle Seager struck out to end the inning. Seager had two doubles in the loss.

The Mariners (24-25) were hoping to go above .500 for the first time since coming out of Opening Day with a 1-0 record.

Sands hit a 1-2 pitch over the right-field fence for his first major league home run since June 16, 2014. With Santana due to arrive in Seattle on Sunday, Sands could be headed back to Columbus before the series is over.

"That's what we had him for this weekend was to try to help us win a game," Francona said. "And that's what he did."

Seattle cut the deficit to 3-2 on a two-run homer by Cano in the third. Cano's two-out blast, his second home run of the season, came in his first game back in the starting lineup since being overcome by flulike symptoms late Wednesday night.

"That's big for us," McClendon said of having Cano healthy and providing offense. "Whe