Mariners 7, Rangers 5
Justin Smoak belted a three-run homer and David Pauley pitched six effective innings as the Seattle Mariners recorded a 7-5 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday.
Franklin Gutierrez went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored for Seattle, which improved to 3-4 on its nine-game road trip.
The Mariners took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on RBI doubles by Adam Moore and Greg Halman. Texas halved the deficit when Vladimir Guerrero led off the bottom of the frame with his 29th home run of the season, but Gutierrez lifted a sacrifice fly in the third to restore Seattle's two-run advantage.
With two outs in the fifth, Jose Lopez drew a walk and Gutierrez singled before Smoak, who was acquired from Texas in the Cliff Lee trade, deposited a 1-0 pitch from C.J. Wilson over the left-field wall for his 11th blast of the year.
The Rangers battled back as David Murphy delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth and Nelson Cruz launched a three-run homer, his 22nd, in the seventh. Seattle loaded the bases with one out in the eighth but managed just one run as Gutierrez raced home on a wild pitch by Pedro Strop.
Pauley (4-8) recorded his second win in a row following four straight losses, allowing two runs and eight hits. The 27-year old, who improved to 4-2 on the road, walked two and struck out three.
Three relievers bridged the gap to Brandon League, who worked a perfect ninth for his fifth save.
Wilson (14-8) surrendered six runs and eight hits in five innings en route to his third straight loss. The left-hander, who walked one and struck out five, has posted a 6.26 ERA over his last five starts.