Game Log: Rangers Out to Stop Streak
The Texas Rangers continue their seven-game homestand with the second of three games with the Seattle Mariners on Saturday. The Rangers lost the first game, 6-2, marking their ninth straight loss to the Mariners. Texas is also inducting two people into the Rangers Hall of Fame on Saturday — former second baseman Ian Kinsler and long-time front office employee John Blake.
The Rangers are 22-32 against the American League West this season, and they'll continue to face AL West teams after the Mariners leave town. The Oakland Athletics face the Rangers for four games starting on Monday.
The Rangers didn't make any pre-game moves on Saturday, but Rangers manager Chris Woodward said during pre-game that he hopes that reliever Joe Barlow can re-join the team soon. Barlow's rehab stint in the minors is going well and Woodward said a move could be made as soon as Sunday.
Scroll down to follow along with tonight’s game.
Seattle Mariners (62-52) at Texas Rangers (49-63)
Starting Pitchers
TEX: RHP Dane Dunning (2-6, 4.04)
Vs.
SEA: LHP Marco Gonzales (7-11, 3.98)
Texas Rangers Starting Lineup
1. 2B Marcus Semien
2. SS Corey Seager
3. RF Adolis García
4. C Johan Heim
5. 1B Nathaniel Lowe
6. DH Charlie Culberson
7. 3B Ezequiel Duran
8. CF Bubba Thompson
9. LF Elier Hernandez
Seattle Mariners Starting Lineup
1. CF Julio Rodríguez
2. 1B Ty France
3. DH Mitch Haniger
4. LF Jesse Winker
5. 3B Eugenio Suárez
6. 2B Adam Frazier
7. C Cal Raleigh
8. SS J.P. Crawford
9. RF Sam Haggerty
Top of First
Dane Dunning (TEX) pitching
Seattle's Julio Rodríguez led off with a single off Dunning. The high chopper went to Rangers shortstop Corey Seager, but took too long to reach Seager and Rodríguez beat the throw. Ty France followed with a sharp liner through the right side of the infield for a single. Mitch Haniger, the Mariners' designated hitter, hit a weak grounder in front of Rangers catcher Jonah Heim. He threw out Haniger, but Rodríguez and France advanced 90 feet. Jesse Winker then drew walk on a full count to load the bases for Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suárez.
Dunning's first pitch to Suárez was wild and Rodríguez scored to make it 1-0 Mariners. France and Winker both advanced. Suárez flew out to Rangers center fielder Bubba Thompson, but the sacrifice fly scored France from third to make it 2-0, while Winker held at second base. Adam Frazier hit a weak grounder to Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien to end the inning. Mariners 2, Rangers 0.
Bottom of First
Marco Gonzales pitching
Semien led off for the Rangers, flying out to Mariners right fielder Sam Haggerty. Seager followed that with a ground out to France, who tossed the ball to Gonzalez for the out. Adolis García then hit a towering fly ball out to Haggerty to end the inning. Mariners 2, Rangers 0.
Top of Second
Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh led off with a line drive into left-center field that slipped between Rangers left fielder Elier Hernandez and Thompson for a double. Shortstop J.P. Crawford grounded out to Semien, but Raleigh advanced to third. Haggerty, the No. 9 hitter in the Mariners' order, sliced an opposite-field sacrifice fly down the left-field line that was deep enough to score Raleigh and make it 3-0 Seattle. Rodríguez returned to the plate and he struck out swinging to end the inning. After facing 10 hitters, Dunning had already thrown 48 pitches. Mariners 3, Rangers 0.
Bottom of Second
Heim, hitting in the clean-up spot for the Rangers on Saturday, led off by connecting well on a pitch from Gonzalez, but it turned into a long out to left field, caught by Winker. Next, Nathaniel Lowe hit a pop-out to Suárez at third base. Designated hitter Charlie Culberson followed by grounding out to Crawford at shorstop to end the inning. After two, Gonzalez had not allowed a base runner. Mariners 3, Rangers 0.
Top of Third
With Dunning closing in on 50 pitches, France led off for the Mariners by striking out swinging. Haniger followed by getting ahead of Dunning 3-0, taking two strikes and then hitting a line drive single to Thompson in center field. Winker then struck out. Suárez grounded out to Semien, who was playing in the shortstop side of the bag in the shift, to end the inning. Mariners 3, Rangers 0.
Bottom of Third
The Rangers finally got their first baserunner after rookie Ezequiel Duran hit a double to left field, as Winker had to play the carom off the ball. Thompson, another rookie, came on in an RBI situation and struck out swinging. Hernandez flew out to Winker in left. Semien, in his second trip to the plate, flew out to Winker to end the inning and strand the Rangers' first base runner. Mariners 3, Rangers 0.
Top of Fourth
Frazier led off the inning with a fly out to Hernandez in left field. Raleigh continued to keep Hernandez busy with another fly out to left. Crawford kept the Rangers from a 1-2-3 inning by hitting a single to center field. Haggerty followed by drawing a walk, and Crawford ran to second, scaring a bird that had landed on the infield during Haggerty's at-bat. The bird then flew to the third-base line and sat with Duran for a few minutes of Rodríguez's third at-bat. Rodríguez struck out to end the inning. Mariners 3, Rangers 0.
Bottom of Fourth
Corey Seager led off by flying out to Rodríguez in center field. García followed with a screaming double to left that, like Duran's double in the third, required Winker to play the carom. Heim then hit what should have been a single to left, but it went deep down the line and turned into a double that scored García for the Rangers' first run. Lowe then hit an opposite-field bloop single to left that moved Heim to third, putting runners at the corners for Culberson with one out. He hit a weak grounder to Suarez at third base. He made the play and the throw, but it was wide of France at first. Heim scored on the RBI single, and Lowe moved to third on the throwing error, as the Rangers took a 3-2 lead. Duran then singled up the middle to score Lowe and advance Culberson to third, tying the game at 3-3. That prompted a second mound visit to Gonzales. Thompson then batted with one out. He put down a perfect sacrifice bunt down the first base line that scored Culberson and gave the Rangers the lead. Hernandez grounded out to third base to end the inning. Rangers 4, Mariners 3
Top of Fifth
With Brett Martin warming up in the Rangers' bullpen, Dunning was hoping to pitch one more inning, as he started the fifth on 90 pitches. He walked France to lead off, followed by Haniger striking out looking. After that, Rangers manager Chris Woodward pulled Dunning from the game for Martin.
Rangers Pitching Change: Brett Martin for Dane Dunning
Martin faced Winker, who grounded into a double play to end the inning. Seager, playing on the second base side of the infield, started the double play, shoveling the ball to Duran, who was covering second base, who then threw it to Lowe for the final out. Rangers 4, Mariners 3
Dunning Final Pitching Line: 4 1/3 innings, five hits, three runs (earned), three walks, five strikeouts, one wild pitch. He threw 101 pitches, 57 strikes.
Bottom of Fifth
Gonzales returned to face Semien to lead off the bottom of the fifth. Already 0-for-2 on Saturday, Semien struck out swinging. Seager then connected on a pitch that he drilled down the right field line for his 26th home run of the season, tying his career high and pushing the Rangers' lead to two runs. García followed by flying out to Haggerty in right-center field. Heim then shot a line drive into left field for a single to extend the inning. Lowe singled to center field, and Heim tried to advance from first to third on the hit, but Rodríguez threw Heim out from center field. Rangers 5, Mariners 3
Top of Sixth
Rangers Pitching Change: Brock Burke for Brett Martin
Martin Final Pitching Line: 2/3 inning, no hits, no runs, no walks, no strikeouts. He threw three pitches, two strikes.
Burke started by facing Suárez, who took Burke deep on a 2-0 pitch for a solo home run to cut the Rangers' lead by a run. It was Suárez's 19th home run of the season. Burke then walked Frazier. Raleigh then hit into a double play, as Duran turned his high, one-bounce grounder to Semien at second, who then turned it to Lowe at first. Crawford then hit a line-drive single to keep the inning alive for Haggerty, who struck out swinging. Rangers 5, Mariners 4
Bottom of Sixth
Mariners Pitching Change: Penn Murfee for Marco Gonzales
Gonzales Final Pitching Line: Five innings, nine hits, five runs (earned), no walks, two strikeouts. He threw 72 pitches, 52 strikes.
The Mariners started the inning by putting in Penn Murfee for Gonzales, the latter of which was in line for the loss. The Rangers led off with Meibrys Viloria pinch-hitting for Culberson. He grounded out to Frazier at second. Duran followed with a walk. Thompson singled through the hole between shortstop and third base to move Duran to second. Josh Smith pinch-hit for Hernandez, who singled over the heads of both Frazier and Crawford into center field, which scored Duran from second. Semien struck out looking. Seager grounded out to Crawford, who was playing in the shift, to end the inning. Rangers 6, Mariners 4
Paid Attendance for Saturday's Game: 31,621
Top of Seventh
Rangers Position Changes: Josh Smith stays in game in left field. Viloria stays in game as DH.
Burke stayed on for a second inning of relief for Texas. Rodríguez led off by striking out swinging. France then grounded out to Seager at shortstop. Haniger then grounded out to Semien in the shift to end the inning. Rangers 6, Mariners 4
Bottom of Seventh
Mariners Pitching Change: Chris Flexen for Penn Murfee
Murfee Final Pitching Line: One innings, two hits, one run (earned), no walks, two strikeouts. He threw 22 pitches, 13 strikes.
Flexen started the frame by facing García, who struck out swinging. Heim doubled to right, and Lowe followed with a walk. Viloria stepped in and walked to load the bases for Duran. He popped out behind home plate, caught by a sprinting Suárez from third base. With two out, Thompson hit a long drive down the left-field line that was ultimately caught by Winker. Rangers 6, Mariners 4
Top of Eighth
Rangers Pitching Change: Matt Moore for Brock Burke
Burke Final Pitching Line: Two innings, two hits, one run (earned), one walk, two strikeouts. He threw 40 pitches, 27 strikes.
Winker was the first Mariner to face Moore, and he grounded out to Duran at third base. Suárez then flew out to Smith in left, followed by Frazier, who walked. Raleigh represented the tying run for Seattle, who struck out swinging. Rangers 6, Mariners 4
Bottom of Eighth
Smith led off by drawing his 19th walk of the season. With Semien up, Raleigh's snap throw to first in an attempt to pick off Smith sailed past France for an error, allowing the speedy Smith to take second and third. Semien popped out in the infield to France. The Mariners intentionally walked Seager to put runners at the corner for García. He hit a bouncer down the third-base line that Suárez fielded cleanly and threw a leaping toss to Frazier at second to force out Seager. But the double play that would have ended the inning was impossible, and Smith scored. Heim struck out to end the inning. Rangers 7, Mariners 4
Top of Ninth
Rangers Pitching Change: Jonathan Hernández for Matt Moore
Moore Final Pitching Line: One inning, no hits, no runs, one walk, one strikeout. He threw 17 pitches, 10 strikes.
Hernández faced Crawford first, who lined out to Thompson in center field. Haggerty followed and he grounded out to Duran. Rodríguez grounded out to Seager to end the game. Hernández pitched a 1-2-3 inning and got the save.
Final Score: Rangers 7, Mariners 4
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