SEATTLE (AP) — Julio Rodríguez hit a two-run homer, his second in three games, George Kirby allowed one unearned run in six innings and the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 7-5 on Saturday.
Seattle won for the sixth time in seven games and won its ninth straight home series since mid-April. The Mariners also increased their lead over the defending champion Rangers to seven and a half games in the American League West. It’s Seattle’s biggest division lead at any time since June 18, 2003, when it also had a 7 1/2-game lead.
“They are a solid team, they were there last year. You know they’re playing well,” Texas coach Bruce Bochy said. “They have a really good staff and you have to play your best and execute when you play against them.”
Kirby (6-5) did not allow a hit until Wyatt Langford hit an infield single with one out in the fourth inning. Kirby leaned heavily on a fastball at the top of the strike zone and scattered three hits over six innings. Marcus Semien had an RBI double in the fifth inning, but Kirby ended his outing by striking out everyone in the sixth.
“I was spraying him a little bit and those two walks were annoying,” Kirby said. “But I dialed it in when I needed it.”
Rodriguez hit a tying home run in the ninth inning Thursday night against the Chicago White Sox and His power has been increasing after a slow start. Rodriguez hit a 1-2 cutter off Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi (3-3) about 412 feet for his seventh home run and a 3-0 lead in the third inning.
Dominic Canzone added an RBI single with two outs later in the inning, and Cal Raleigh had an RBI single in the first inning as the Mariners knocked out the Texas starter after just three innings.
Josh Rojas hit a solo home run in the seventh, his first long ball since April 28, and had a two-run single in the eighth that became critical due to a shaky ninth inning by Seattle’s relievers.
“They have a very good offense and you have to take advantage of everything you can throughout the game because you know that at any moment they can put together an inning like they did in the ninth,” Rojas said.
Texas scored four times in the ninth with five hits and a walk and all four runs were charged to reliever Eduard Bazardo. Semien dropped a two-out, two-run single off Ryne Stanek to bring the Rangers within 7-5, but Tyler Locklear made a diving stop on Corey Seager’s grounder at first base and stepped on the bag for the final out.
“They hit some balls, they found some holes and I don’t want that to overshadow all the positives today, and there really was a lot,” Seattle coach Scott Servais said.
Eovaldi allowed four runs on four hits and struck out six. But he also struggled with control with four walks in the 17 batters he faced. Eovaldi pitched seven innings allowing two runs and five hits in his previous start against San Francisco.
COACH ROOM
Rangers: C Jonah Heim was placed on the paternity list. Sam Huff was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock to take his place on the roster.
Mariners: 2B Jorge Polanco (hamstring) began a rehab stint Saturday night with Single-A Everett. Polanco is scheduled to spend the weekend with Everett before transferring to Triple-A Tacoma next week.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
Rangers: RHP Dane Dunning (4-5, 4.80) will try to bounce back after allowing six runs in 3 2/3 innings against the Dodgers in his last start.
Mariners: RHP Logan Gilbert (3-4, 3.19) pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings against Texas on April 23.
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