The Sports Xchange
Jul 31, 2017
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Robinson Cano's two-run single in the ninth inning capped a rally for Seattle as the Mariners took advantage of sloppy play by the Texas Rangers in a 6-4 victory on Monday night.
Seattle trailed 4-0 after two innings but was able to complete the comeback in the ninth inning on a night when neither Texas starter Cole Hamels nor Seattle starter Felix Hernandez was sharp.
Cano's single to right with one out in the ninth off Alex Claudio (2-1) scored two and snapped a 4-4 tie. The inning included the Rangers' fourth error of the game and their second balk.
The rally made a winner of David Phelps (1-1), who struck out five and didn't allow a run in 1 2/3 innings. Edwin Diaz closed out the Rangers with a perfect ninth for his 20th save.
Rougned Odor's two-run homer in the first, which gave him homers in three consecutive plate appearances, gave Hamels early support.
Texas doubled the lead to 4-0 in the second as Carlos Gomez homered to center to open the inning, and Elvis Andrus plated Shin-Soo Choo with a two-out single.
But Hamels, who came into the game with a sparkling 2.88 ERA at Globe Life Park this season, couldn't make the support stand up.
Seattle scored three times in the fourth inning. Two runs came in on a single to left by Danny Valencia as Texas left fielder Drew Robinson misplayed the ball. Leonys Martin followed two batters later with an RBI grounder, and the Texas lead was down to 4-3.
The Mariners tied the score in the sixth on an RBI triple by Martin. That scored Guillermo Heredia, who reached on an error.
Hernandez allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings, and Hamels gave up four runs (three earned) in six innings.
Seattle finished with eight hits, with catcher Carlos Ruiz going 2-for-3. Gomez went 2-for-3 for Texas, which had five hits in the first two innings and one in the final seven.
NOTES: Texas 3B Adrian Beltre and Seattle RHP James Paxton shared American League player of the week honors. Beltre collected his 3,000th hit and Paxton went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in two starts. ... The Rangers recalled OF Ryan Rua, RHP Nick Martinez and RHP Clayton Blackburn to take the roster spots created by the trades of RHP Yu Darvish, C Jonathan Lucroy and RHP Jeremy Jeffress. ... Martinez, who was on the disabled list for Triple-A Round Rock, will start for the Rangers on Tuesday against Mariners RHP Erasmo Ramirez.