Julio Rodriguez hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Texas Rangers 4-2 Wednesday afternoon to complete a sweep of the three-game series.
Mariners left-hander Marco Gonzales (6-10) went seven innings and allowed two runs on four hits. He walked one and struck out five.
Reliever Matt Festa worked the ninth for his second save of the season — and of his career.
Rangers starter Jon Gray (7-5) cruised through the first six innings and appeared to be on his way to a fourth straight victory when he took a 2-1 lead into the seventh.
With one out, pinch hitter Cal Raleigh drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch. Sam Haggerty then doubled to right field, and Raleigh was held at third.
Rodriguez, who went deep in the first inning Tuesday after missing four games with a sore left wrist, then hammered a hanging slider high off the out-of-town scoreboard beyond the bullpens in left field for the 18th homer of his rookie campaign.
Gray was lifted after Rodriguez’s blast. The right-hander allowed four runs on five hits in 6 1/ 3 innings with four walks and eight strikeouts.
Seattle opened the scoring in the second. With one out, J.P. Crawford singled and Adam Frazier reached base on a bunt down the third base line against a defensive shift. After Luis Torrens struck out, Haggerty lined a run-scoring double to left.
The Rangers tied the score in the fifth as Adolis Garcia led off with a line-drive single to left, stole second and scored on Charlie Culberson’s one-out double.
Texas took a 2-1 lead in the next inning. Elier Hernandez, the No. 9 hitter in Texas’ lineup, led off with a double to left field. Two outs later, Jonah Heim also doubled to left to give the Rangers their only lead of the afternoon.
The Mariners improved to 44-11 when scoring four or more runs this season.
–Field Level Media
