Joey Gallo hit two home runs and had four RBIs as the Texas Rangers defeated the visiting Seattle Mariners 11-7 Wednesday afternoon to take two of three games in the series.
Texas' Nos. 5-7 hitters, Gallo, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ronald Guzman, each had three hits to pace a 19-hit attack.
Rangers right-hander Yovani Gallardo (7-1), who pitched for Seattle last season, allowed two runs on three hits in six innings, with three walks and two strikeouts. All seven of Gallardo's wins have come since June 23, the most in the majors during that span, as his ERA with Texas has dropped from 9.00 to 4.97.
The Rangers' bullpen threatened to blow it. Left-hander Alex Claudio and right-hander Cory Gearrin allowed four runs in the seventh as Seattle pulled within 7-6.
The Rangers responded with four runs in bottom of the inning, on RBI doubles by Guzman, Willie Calhoun and Jurickson Profar, and a run-scoring single by Adrian Beltre.
Texas right-hander Eddie Butler pitched the final two innings to close out the victory, despite allowing a solo homer to Mike Zunino, his 16th, in the ninth.
Mariners left-hander Marco Gonzales (12-7) allowed seven runs on 12 hits in five innings, with no walks and three strikeouts. Gonzales lost his second straight start after five consecutive victories.
Zunino hit two solo homers for the Mariners, who are 10-19 since having an eight-game winning streak snapped July 4.
Gallo hit a run-scoring single in the first inning to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead.
Texas added three runs in the third, including a two-run shot by Gallo.
After Zunino homered in the fifth to make it 5-2, Gallo led off the bottom of the inning with a fly ball just inside the right field foul pole, his 31st home run of the season. Kiner-Falefa then doubled, advanced on a single by Guzman and scored on Calhoun's double-play groundout for a 7-2 lead.
Mariners right-hander Sam Tuivailala replaced Gonzales in the sixth but lasted just two-thirds of an inning, suffering a strained right Achilles in a rundown. Seattle first baseman Ryon Healy left in the same inning with a heat-related illness.
--Field Level Media
Seattle | Texas | |
Marco Gonzales | Player | Yovani Gallardo |
Loss | W/L | Win |
5.0 | IP | 6.0 |
3 | Strikeouts | 2 |
12 | Hits | 3 |
12.60 | ERA | 3.00 |
Seattle | Texas | |
Mike Zunino | Player | Joey Gallo |
2 | Hits | 3 |
2 | RBI | 4 |
2 | HR | 2 |
8 | TB | 9 |
.667 | Avg | .600 |