Mariners 5, Rangers 1: Hisashi Iwakuma tossed eight strong innings and Kyle Seager went 4-for-4 with three RBIs to rally Seattle past visiting Texas and end its five-game losing streak.
Iwakuma (5-3) received some rare run support in winning for only the second time in five outings as he allowed a run on six hits and struck out six before Charlie Furbush pitched a perfect ninth to help the Mariners improve to 24-13 all-time on Father’s Day. Dustin Ackley drove in a run and joined Endy Chavez and Willie Bloomquist with two hits apiece.
Nick Martinez (1-4) gave up two runs on nine hits over six innings to suffer his third consecutive loss. Brad Snyder went 2-for-3 for his first career multi-hit performance, slugging his first major-league homer for the Rangers.
Iwakuma needed only 15 pitches to retire the first five batters he faced before Snyder, who is attempting to fill the void at first base created by the season-ending injury to Prince Fielder, lifted a first-pitch sinker over the fence in left-center field. Texas could do no more against the right-hander, however, as Seattle pulled ahead in the fifth.
Chavez led off the frame with a single and Robinson Cano walked two batters ahead of Seager, who ripped a 1-1 fastball into the corner to bring both runners home. The Mariners added some insurance in the eighth against reliever Robbie Ross as Seager doubled in John Buck and scored on Ackley's single before Brad Miller delivered a sacrifice fly to cap the three-run frame.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Seattle 1B Logan Morrison left the game in the sixth after suffering a laceration on his forehead and was replaced by Buck. … Rangers RHP Ben Rowen made his major-league debut and gave up Miller’s sacrifice fly, but the run was charged to Ross. … Iwakuma, who did not walk a batter for the fifth time in nine starts, received eight runs of support over his previous four turns.
Texas | Seattle | |
Nicholas Martinez | Player | Hisashi Iwakuma |
Loss | W/L | Win |
6.0 | IP | 8.0 |
3 | Strikeouts | 6 |
9 | Hits | 6 |
3.00 | ERA | 1.12 |
Texas | Seattle | |
Brad Snyder | Player | Kyle Seager |
2 | Hits | 4 |
1 | RBI | 3 |
1 | HR | 0 |
5 | TB | 6 |
.667 | Avg | 1.000 |