Jon Gray Throws Gem, Texas Rangers Blank Mariners
Jon Gray continued his personal winning streak and the Texas Rangers started the new month like they played most of the last one, blanking the Seattle Mariners 2-0 Friday night at Globe Life Field.
The American League West-leading Rangers (36-20) opened a six-game homestand coming off another successful road trip (6-3) and stellar May (18-9) against a division rival. Texas, off to its best 56-game start in club history, is also 3-1 against the Mariners (29-28) this season.
Gray (6-1) pitched another gem in claiming a career-best fifth consecutive win. The veteran right-hander worked seven innings of shutout baseball, allowing just two hits and striking out five. Gray lowered his ERA to a season low 2.51.
Rookie reliever Grant Anderson, coming off a historic seven-strikeout debut, pitched a scoreless eighth, adding another punch-out to his resume.
Will Smith preserved the Rangers’ sixth shutout of the season with a perfect ninth, notching his 10th save.
Texas finally broke through against formidable Mariners starter Luis Castillo (4-3) in the sixth. Marcus Semien and Corey Seager opened the frame with singles putting runners at the corners. Nathaniel Lowe’s sacrifice fly to left scored Semien for the game’s first run.
Semien also extended his hitting streak to a career-high 21 games.
Seager’s double into the left-field corner in the eighth plated Jonah Heim, who came in to catch Anderson, with an insurance run.
The Rangers didn’t get their first hit until Robbie Grossman lined a one-out single to right in the fifth. Travis Jankowski followed with a single. They would both be in scoring position after a wild pitch, but two pop ups ended the threat.
The series continues Saturday afternoon with Andrew Heaney (4-3, 3.76) going for Texas and Marco Gonzales (4-1, 5.22) starting for the Mariners. First pitch is scheduled for 3:05 p.m.
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