Mariners 3, Rangers 1
ARLINGTON, Texas - The Seattle Mariners jumped ahead early and held on for a 3-1 victory over the streaking Texas Rangers on Friday night at Globe Life Park.
The Mariners' bullpen worked 4 2/3 scoreless innings to snap a five-game winning streak for the American League West leaders in the opener of a three-game series.
Seattle (72-76) is 11-5 in September, which is tied with Toronto for the best record in the American League. The Rangers (79-68), fresh off a four-game sweep of Houston, are 11-6 this month.
Mariners shortstop Ketel Marte went 2-for-4 and accounted for all three runs. The 21-year-old rookie drove in two runs and scored the other.
Seattle closer Tom Wilhelmsen worked a perfect ninth for his 12th save in as many chances. Included in the 1-2-3 inning was a strikeout of pinch hitter Josh Hamilton, who is coming off minor knee surgery and was making his first appearance since Sept. 4.
Mariners reliever Danny Farquhar (1-4) was awarded the win in Seattle's first game of 10-day, nine-game road trip.
Texas starter Yovani Gallardo fell to 12-11 after giving up three runs in five innings.
The Rangers tried to mount an unlikely rally in the eighth against reliever Carson Smith, the fourth man out of the bullpen for Seattle. Third baseman Adrian Beltre walked to lead off the inning, and designated hitter Prince Fielder followed with a soft chopper that went under the first baseman Logan Morrison's glove.
Beltre nearly made runners at first and third with none out, if not for a replay review. Beltre broke for third on a wild pitch and initially was ruled to have beaten catcher Jesus Sucre's throw, but replay confirmed that third baseman Kyle Seager kept his glove on Beltre as he came off the bag.
Seattle got to both Rangers starter Yovani Gallardo and manager Jeff Banister in the second.
Marte's slicing double down the third-base line made it 2-0 and also led to a ejection of Banister. The ball bounced twice before going over third, each time catching the chalk, before hitting the line one more time in left.
Banister came out of the dugout to argue the play, only to get tossed by third base umpire Chris Guccione.
Seager followed with a bloop single to left to plate Marte for a three-run edge.
The Rangers threatened in the first by loading the bases, but Seattle starter James Paxton struck out first baseman Mitch Moreland to end the inning. Paxton also maneuvered out of a two-on, one-out scenario in the third.
The lefty wasn't as elusive in the fourth. Two singles backed up by two walks, the latter to Fielder with the bases ended Paxton's night.
Farquhar limited the damage by coaxing an inning-ending double play out of left fielder Mike Napoli.
NOTES: The Rangers' four-game sweep of the Astros this week was the first time in modern major-league history (since 1900) that a second-place team swept a first-place team in September or October to put them in first place, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ... Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said OF Nelson Cruz will likely remain at DH for the Texas series. Cruz could return to RF against Kansas City. ... Texas went into Friday having won five straight, 10 of 11, 11 of 14, and 19 of its last 23 home games. The club's 22-5 (.815) home mark since July 29 is the best in baseball. ... Seattle came into the game leading the American League with 204 extra-base hits since the All-Star break.