Mariners clobber Rangers, earn series split
Tom Murphy and Daniel Vogelbach hit back-to-back home runs in the third inning and Kyle Seager later added a three-run shot as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Texas Rangers 11-3 Sunday afternoon to earn a split of their four-game series in Arlington, Texas.
Mariners left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (6-9) allowed three runs on six hits in five innings to earn the victory. He didn't walk a batter and struck out one.
The Mariners took a 4-0 lead in the top of the first against left-hander Brett Martin (1-3), who lasted just two-thirds of an inning.
Leadoff hitter Mallex Smith was hit by a pitch and Tim Lopes then lined a single into right field. An out later, Omar Narvaez walked to load the bases. With two outs, Vogelbach walked to score the first run. Dylan Moore hit a chopper deep into the hole between short and third, beating the throw to first to make it 2-0. Dee Gordon followed with a soft liner up the middle that fell just in front of center fielder Delino DeShields, with two runs scoring on the play.
The Rangers then loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning as Delino DeShields and Danny Santana led off with singles and, an out later, Nick Solak was hit by a pitch. Rougned Odor grounded out to first to score the lone run.
Murphy led off the third with a homer to left-center field, his 17th of the season, and Vogelbach followed with a liner just over the right field wall for his team-leading 29th, both off right-hander Luke Farrell, giving the Mariners a 6-1 lead.
The Rangers got two runs back in the bottom of the inning as Elvis Andrus singled with one out and scored on Solak's triple to right. Odor brought home the second run with a groundout to short.
The Mariners tacked on a run in the fifth, loading the bases with two outs as Vogelbach walked, Moore was hit by a pitch and Gordon reached on an infield single. Braden Bishop walked to make it 7-3.
Seager hit his three-run homer into the second deck in right field in the eighth, his 19th, off right-hander Taylor Guerrieri.
The Mariners capped the scoring in the ninth on Lopes' run-scoring double.
--Field Level Media
