Mariners 3, Rangers 1
Kyle Seager belted a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning and Justin Smoak added a solo shot as visiting Seattle cooled off Texas in the opener of the three-game series.
Hisashi Iwakuma (11-6) allowed one run on four hits and struck out eight over seven innings as the Mariners handed the Rangers their third loss in 17 games. Yoervis Medina and Charlie Furbush registered big outs in the eighth before Danny Farquhar earned his sixth save with a perfect ninth.
Rangers left-hander Derek Holland struck out six and allowed only two hits over seven scoreless innings but remained winless in his last seven home starts when Neal Cotts (4-2) served up Seager's blast. It was the second homer allowed by Cotts in 38 appearances this season.
A.J. Pierzynski had an RBI single and Adrian Beltre reached base four times with two hits and a pair of walks for Texas, which had its lead in the American League West trimmed to one-half game over Oakland.
Pierzynski accounted for the only run through seven frames with his fourth-inning single, but Cotts issued a one-out walk to Nick Franklin before Seager snapped an 0-for-21 drought with his 18th homer. Smoak added an insurance tally in the ninth with his 14th home run.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Seager is batting .414 with three homers and 10 RBIs in 14 games against the Rangers this season. ... Rangers SS Elvis Andrus went 0-for-2. He had multiple hits in his last four games on this date - the anniversary of Elvis Presley's death in 1977. ... The Rangers said no decision has been made on when to active 1B/RF Lance Berkman, who has been on the 15-day disabled list since July 7 with hip and knee injuries and just completed a four-game rehab stint.