SEATTLE (AP) — Justin Smoak hit his fifth homer, Jason Vargas pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning and the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 3-1 on Thursday night.
Seattle won for the seventh time in nine games, taking two of three from the Rangers to move within two games of .500 after starting the season 8-15.
Smoak is a big reason the Mariners are playing so well. The young first baseman was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Cliff Lee to Texas last July, and has been on a tear since returning from bereavement leave following the death of his father. He homered off Colby Lewis (2-4) in the second and finished with three hits.
Vargas (2-2) allowed one run and six hits in 7 2-3 innings.
