Field Level Media
Apr 22, 2018
Robinson Cano hit a go-ahead, two-run home run as part of a five-run, eighth-inning uprising for Seattle, and Edwin Diaz got the final four outs for his MLB-leading eighth save as the Mariners came from behind to beat the Texas Rangers 9-7 on Saturday in the middle game of a three-game series at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Tex.
The start of the contest was delayed 1 hour, 25 minutes by rain. Neither Seattle starter James Paxton nor Rangers starter Bartolo Colon figured in the decision.
Paxton gave up five runs on six hits in four innings of work with three walks and six strikeouts. Colon, coming off a game where he retired the first 21 batters he faced, allowed four runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings while balancing his two strikeouts with one walk, leaving with a 5-4 lead.
Chasen Bradford (2-0) got the win for the Mariners with two innings of one-run, two-hit pitching in relief.
Alex Claudio (0-1) took the loss for Texas, surrendering four runs on four hits in the seventh inning while not retiring a batter.
Cano, Dee Gordon and Nelson Cruz had three hits each for Seattle, which pounded out 13 hits against five Rangers pitchers.
The Rangers' offense was not the issue, as Texas had 11 hits, led by two each by Shin-Soo Choo, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Nomar Mazara and Jurickson Profar.
Texas started the scoring with a run in the first inning on Mazara's RBI double that drove home Kiner-Falefa.
Seattle answered in the third as Gordon's single plated Mike Zunino. But the Rangers regained the lead in the bottom of the frame on Adrian Beltre's sacrifice fly and a two-run double by Profar.
The Mariners cut Texas' lead to 4-3 in the fourth on a 453-foot, two-run home run well over the left-field fence by Cruz, with Cano trotting across the plate ahead of Cruz.
Texas built its advantage back to two runs in the bottom half when Ben Gamel dropped a fly ball to left field by Choo that allowed Ronald Guzman to race home.
The two teams traded runs in the sixth inning, with Mitch Haniger's sacrifice fly driving home Cano before Kiner-Falefa responded with a run-scoring single that brought home Robinson Chirinos for the Rangers.
Seattle tied the game in the seventh on a two-run double by Segura and took the lead with a two-run home run by Cano. Haniger added a solo dinger later in the inning to push Seattle's advantage to 9-6.
Texas scored in the ninth on a groundout by Guzman and loaded the bases before Diaz coaxed Kiner-Falefa into a game-ending flyout.
The two teams will wrap the series on Sunday afternoon, with the Mariners' pitcher still to be announced and Texas sending left-hander Martin Perez (1-2, 1.14 ERA) to the mound.
--Field Level Media