Rangers 4, Mariners 3
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre did plenty of damage with his bat Monday night, but his eye proved the game winner in Texas' 4-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
Beltre went 3-for-4 with three RBIs but didn't swing the bat in drawing a bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning to give Texas its fifth consecutive win. The Rangers (60-57) have also won their last eight games at home and are three games above .500 for the first time since June 23.
The Mariners (55-64) have dropped three of four on their current six-game road trip and lost to the Rangers for only the third time in 10 meetings this season.
Texas and Seattle play the middle game of a three-game set Tuesday night.
The Rangers opened the ninth with back-to-back bunt base hits from left fielder Ryan Strausborger and center fielder Delino DeShields against former Seattle closer Fernando Rodney. DeShields' hit was reviewed and upheld after a long delay.
Right fielder Shin-Soo Choo was hit on the ensuing pitch after the stoppage to load the bases with none out for designated hitter Prince Fielder. Rodney struck out Fielder, but his luck ended there with a five-pitch walk of Beltre.
Neither starter -- Texas' Cole Hamels or Seattle's Taijuan Walker -- was involved in the decision. Hamels worked seven innings and allowed three runs on seven hits, while matching a season high with four walks. Walker gave up three runs on 10 hits in six innings.
Texas close Shawn Tolleson (5-2) took the win after working a scoreless top of the ninth.
Seattle was poised to take its first lead in the seventh if not for a spectacular defensive effort by Choo. After the Mariners tied the game 3-3 on shortstop Ketel Marte's single to right, the visitors had runners at the corners with one out.
Third baseman Kyle Seager lined a shot to right that Choo ran down before firing a strike to the plate to gun down first baseman Logan Morrison and keep the game tied.
The Rangers broke a 2-2 tied on Strausborger's sacrifice fly in the sixth.
As has been their custom lately, the Rangers' offense got started early. Beltre's double to left drove home Choo, who walked against Walker.
The Rangers have scored in the first inning in four consecutive games.
Another double by Beltre, this one down the third-base line, plated Choo again in the third for a 2-0 lead.
The Mariners took advantage of two leadoff walks in the fourth by Texas starter Cole Hamels to cut the lead to 2-1. Left fielder Franklin Gutierrez doubled to score Seager, leaving runners at second and third with one out.
Hamels, though, ended the threat there to keep the Rangers up by a run.
The Texas left-hander found himself in trouble again in the fifth. Seattle put the first two batters on with a pair singles before Seager's one-out single knotted the game.
NOTES: Texas LHP Derek Holland is set to start Wednesday after being out almost the entire season with a shoulder injury. He pitched one inning in the home opener before getting hurt. ... Texas OF Josh Hamilton (knee) was out of the starting lineup for the second consecutive game. ... Mariners RHP Hisashi Iwakuma was named American League Player of the Week after throwing no-hitter on Aug. 12 against Baltimore. ... Texas LHP Cole Hamels returned to the rotation after missing his start on Aug. 13 because of a groin issue. ... Seattle recalled LHP Edgar Olmos from Triple-A Tacoma and optioned LHP Rob Rasmussen back to Tacoma. ... Texas announced that Masters and U.S. Open winner Jordan Spieth is throwing out the first pitch before Tuesday's game.