Rangers complete three-game sweep of Mariners
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas took advantage of two Seattle errors in the fifth inning to score three times and win 3-2 to complete a three-game sweep of the Mariners on Sunday.
First-place Texas, which has now won seven of its last eight games, moved three games ahead of Seattle in the American League West after rallying from a 2-0 deficit.
With a runner on first and one out, Texas' Elvis Andrus hit a grounder to short that Luis Sardinas bobbled to put runners on first and second. Jared Hoying brought in the first run with an RBI single to left-center and Bobby Wilson followed with a shallow fly ball to left off Hisashi Iwakuma (4-5), with Andrus able to sprint home to tie the game as left fielder Stefen Romero was slow to throw the ball in.
Jurickson Profar followed with a single to left that Romero couldn't come up with cleanly and Hoying scored the go-ahead run.
That three-run burst was enough for Texas left-hander Derek Holland (5-4), who set season highs in strikeouts (six) and innings pitched (seven) as he allowed three hits. He got help from a the bullpen as Matt Bush and Jake Diekman combined to strike out the side in the eighth before Sam Dyson notched his seventh save.
Holland needed 33 pitches to get through three innings before running into trouble in the fourth. He opened the inning by walking Franklin Gutierrez and then after a fielder's choice, Seattle's Nelson Cruz lined his 13th homer of the season to left center.
Iwakuma pitched seven innings, giving up three runs but just one earned. He struck out seven and surrendered just four hits.
NOTES: Texas DH Prince Fielder was out of the lineup for a second straight game as Jurickson Profar started again for the slumping Fielder, who is hitting .187. ... Texas C Bobby Wilson returned to the lineup Sunday after missing four of six games. Wilson fouled a ball off his left foot and had to have his left big toe drained. ... Seattle RHP Felix Hernandez, who went on the disabled list Wednesday with a strained right calf, is still unable to throw and likely won't be ready to come off the DL when he is eligible June 11. ... Mariners SS Ketel Marte, who has been on the disabled list since May 22 with a sprained left thumb, is expected to be activated from the DL Monday. ... Rangers OF Nomar Mazara, who is 21, became just the fourth player in the last 30 years to reach double figures in homers by their 45th game. The other three are Jason Heyward, Giancarlo Stanton and Carlos Correa.