Julio Rodriguez hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Texas Rangers 4-3 on Thursday afternoon, taking two of three games from their American League West rivals.
Starter Logan Gilbert (12-9) pitched seven strong innings for the victory and closer Andres Munoz worked the ninth for his 27th save of the season for the Mariners (69-78), who are six games behind Houston in the division race. The Astros won 2-1 at Philadelphia earlier in the day.
Joc Pederson hit a two-run homer for the Rangers (72-75), who dropped three games behind Houston.
Gilbert allowed three runs on three hits, with two walks and 11 strikeouts, in a matchup against Jacob deGrom, another right-hander who, like Gilbert, attended Stetson University.
deGrom pitched six scoreless innings of one-hit ball for the Rangers, with no walks and 12 strikeouts. The only hit he gave up was Cole Young’s leadoff infield single in the sixth. deGrom retired the first 15 batters before Young hit a liner back up the middle.
The ball deflected off the end of deGrom’s glove and settled halfway between the mound and second base. By the time deGrom scrambled to pick up the ball, Young was nearly to first base and no throw was made.
The Rangers took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh, but Jakob Junis (1-3) failed to record an out in relief of deGrom.
Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a Junis wild pitch. He scored on Dominic Canzone’s single to left. Cal Raleigh lined a single to center before Rodriguez lined a first-pitch sinker over the Rangers’ bullpen in left field to give Seattle a 4-3 lead.
Texas opened the scoring in the third as Nicky Lopez grounded a one-out single to center and, with two outs, Pederson went deep to right off Gilbert.
The Rangers extended their lead to 3-0 in the fifth. Evan Carter led off the inning and was hit by a pitch, stole second and took third on catcher Raleigh’s errant throw. Carter scored on Lopez’s bunt down the first-base line.
