Streaking Rangers roll over Mariners
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead versus Seattle on Saturday and kept on hitting on their way to a 10-4 win over the Mariners.
Texas, which had 14 hits, has now matched its franchise record with nine straight series wins at home and has won six of its last seven games.
The Rangers scored at least one run in four of the first five innings. They set the tone in the bottom of the first when Nomar Mazara hit a sacrifice fly off Nathan Karns (5-2) before Ryan Rua lined a two-run double to left.
Seattle scored single runs in the second, third and fourth innings, but the Rangers were able to blunt those runs before breaking the game open with four runs in the fifth. Mitch Moreland's RBI single put Texas up 6-3 and shortstop Elvis Andrus followed with a three-run homer to left.
The Mariners got an RBI from Stefen Romero, a solo homer from Nelson Cruz and a run-scoring single from Shawn O'Malley for its three runs off Martin Perez. Perez (4-4) went six innings, giving up nine hits and striking out just one.
Karns, who went to high school in Arlington, didn't fare nearly as well as he was charged with seven runs on eight hits in his four innings. He struck out five but also walked five.
Texas center fielder Ian Desmond, who had four hits Friday, led the Texas barrage with three hits. Andrus, Jurickson Profar, Rougned Odor and Rua each had two-hit games. Mazara capped the scoring for Texas with his 10th homer of the season in the eighth inning.
Cruz added a run-scoring groundout in the seventh and finished with two RBI. Catcher Chris Iannetta had three of the 11 Seattle hits.
Neither starter was sharp and both offenses took advantage early.
Texas jumped on Karns for three runs in the first on a sacrifice fly from Mazara and a two-run double from Rua.
The Mariners got a run back in the second on a sacrifice fly from Romero, but Desmond's RBI single got the run back in the bottom of the inning to give Texas a 4-1 lead.
Cruz trimmed Seattle's deficit to 4-2 with a solo homer to center in the third. Texas again answered in the bottom of the frame on Bryan Holaday's RBI single.
O'Malley's RBI single off Perez in the fourth again trimmed the Texas lead to 5-3, but the Rangers got an RBI single from Mitch Moreland in the fifth. Andrus followed Moreland's hit with a three-run homer off left-hander Vidal Nuno to break the game open and give Texas a 9-3 lead.
NOTES: Texas 2B Rougned Odor was reinstated from the suspended list after missing seven games for his involvement in a brawl with the Toronto Blue Jays on May 15. ... Texas recalled RHP Tom Wilhelmsen from Triple-A Round Rock and optioned INF Hanser Alberto to Round Rock. ... Seattle called up RHP Edwin Diaz from Double-A Jackson and sent RHP Cody Martin to Triple-A Tacoma to make room for him. Diaz didn't allow a run in his last 10 outings in Jackson and has a 2.21 ERA on the season. ... Texas RHP Nick Tepesch, who has spent all season at Round Rock, requested and was granted his unconditional release. Tepesch was 9-17 over parts of two seasons with the Rangers. ... Texas DH Prince Fielder, who came into Saturday's game in an 0-for-12 rut, was out of the starting lineup. Fielder is batting .193 over the last 15 games and .187 on the season. ... Seattle SS Ketel Marte, who has been on the disabled list since May 22 with a sprained left thumb, is expected to rejoin the Mariners on Monday after completing his rehab assignment Saturday.