Dane Dunning pitched six quality innings as the Texas Rangers defeated the host Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Wednesday afternoon, taking two of three games in the series between the American League West rivals.
Marcus Semien homered and drove in two runs for division-leading Texas, which has won eight of its past 11 games.
Dunning (3-0) allowed two runs on six hits. The right-hander walked one and struck out five.
The Mariners pulled within a run in the eighth after pinch hitter Jose Caballero was hit by a pitch from Brock Burke leading off the inning. With two outs, Jarred Kelenic lined a triple into the gap in left-center field to make it 4-3. Jonathan Hernandez replaced Burke and walked Eugenio Suarez before striking out Cal Raleigh to end the threat.
The Rangers’ Will Smith pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save of the season.
Texas handed Mariners ace Luis Castillo (2-1) just his third regular-season loss since being acquired at last year’s trade deadline. The right-hander gave up three runs on eight hits in five innings, with no walks and nine strikeouts.
The Mariners scored in the first inning after a walk to J.P. Crawford, who had moved to the top of the order with the struggling Julio Rodriguez dropping to the No. 6 spot. Ty France followed by lining a single to left, with Crawford scoring on outfielder Robbie Grossman’s throwing error.
The Rangers took the lead with a three-run third. Semien led off with a homer to left, his sixth of the season. Grossman reached on an infield single and Nathaniel Lowe hit a run-scoring double to center. After Castillo struck out Adolis Garcia and Josh Jung, Jonah Heim lined a double to right to make it 3-1.
The Mariners got a run back in the fifth as Rodriguez led off with a line-drive single to right. With two outs, Kolten Wong singled to left, moving Rodriguez to third, and Crawford lined a single to right to make it 3-2.
Texas tallied again in the sixth after Ezequiel Duran grounded a leadoff single to center off reliever Matt Brash. Duran took second on a groundout, third on a single by Josh H. Smith and scored as Semien grounded a single into left.
–Field Level Media
