Rangers 9, Mariners 6
SEATTLE -- Cole Hamels survived both a line drive to the jaw and a shaky seventh inning while pitching the Texas Rangers to a 9-6 win over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.
The left-hander rebounded from a line drive off the left side of his face in the third inning and got plenty of offensive help from four Texas home runs.
Hamels (3-1) allowed four runs on eight hits in seven innings, with four of the hits and three of the runs coming in his final inning.
The Rangers (73-64) matched their season high for home runs in a game while pulling within a game of Houston in the American League West standings. The Astros lost 4-0 to the Oakland A's, allowing Texas an opportunity to move a game back for the first time since April 18.
Rangers right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, first baseman Mitch Moreland, second baseman Rougned Odor and left fielder Joey Gallo all went deep on a night when Seattle starter Taijuan Walker couldn't get an out past the third inning. Walker (10-8) gave up three of the homers as Texas jumped out to a 6-1 lead.
Seattle mounted a comeback with a four-run seventh, and then second baseman Robinson Cano took reliever Jake Diekman deep for a 419-foot, two-run homer to pull the Mariners within 8-6 in the eighth. It was Cano's 15th home run of the season, surpassing his total from last season.
Despite the rally, the Mariners (66-73) couldn't prevent Hamels from earning his third win as a Ranger and his ninth of the season.
Closer Shawn Tolleson pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his 31st save of the season.
The Rangers survived a major scare in the bottom of the third inning, when Hamels took a line drive off the left side of his jaw. Mariners catcher Jesus Sucre sent a screaming liner back to the mound, and the ball glanced off Hamels' glove before striking him flush in the face and knocking the big left-hander to the ground.
Hamels was able to get up and offer a chuckle and a shake of the head. A team trainer came rushing out of the dugout as Hamels was seen telling third baseman Adrian Beltre, "I'm fine."
After throwing a few warmup pitches, Hamels was able to stay in the game.
Home runs by Moreland, Choo and Odor helped the Rangers jump out to a 6-1 lead while chasing Walker.
Moreland hit a 2-0 pitch from Walker into the seats in right-center field for a second-inning solo homer, then Choo added a three-run shot in the third for a 4-0 lead. Choo's one-out blast was his 17th home run of the season.
Seattle got a run back in the bottom of the third after Sucre's single off Hamels loaded the bases with no outs. Hamels got a strikeout before Seattle third baseman Kyle Seager cut the deficit to 4-1 with an RBI groundout.
Odor then took Walker deep on a two-run shot in the top of the fourth, putting the Rangers ahead 6-1 while ending the Seattle starter's night. Walker allowed six runs -- five earned -- on six hits over three-plus innings. The three home runs allowed matched a career high for the 23-year-old rookie.
NOTES: INF Jurickson Profar won't play for the Rangers this season, multiple media outlets reported. Profar was on a rehab assignment but continued to struggle with his surgically repaired right shoulder. ... Seattle called up OF James Jones, 1B Jesus Montero, C Steven Baron and RHP J.C. Ramirez from Triple-A Tacoma. The most notable omission was C Mike Zunino, a three-year starter who will spend the rest of the season working on his swing in preparation for the Arizona instructional league. ... The Mariners transferred LHP Charlie Furbush (biceps) from the 15- to the 60-day disabled list. ... Rangers CF Delino DeShields (sprained knee) was not in the lineup. ... Seattle's Wednesday starter is still officially listed as TBA, but manager Lloyd McClendon confirmed that LHP Vidal Nuno would make the start. LHP Martin Perez will start for the Rangers. ... The Mariners will open the 2016 season at Texas on April 4.