ARLINGTON, Texas — Tyler Anderson allowed one run on three hits in six innings to earn his first win with Seattle as the Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Anderson (6-8) was acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 28. He had no-decisions in his first four starts for the Mariners, who have won five of their last six games and pulled within four games of the American League’s last wild-card spot. He struck out four, walked none and retired his final 12 batters after giving up a third-inning home run to No. 9 batter Andy Ibanez.
It was Anderson’s third start against Texas in his four Mariners outings. He has allowed five earned runs in 16 2/3 innings against the Rangers with no walks.
“Last time when I faced them at home, I felt like I threw too many pitches through five (innings),” Anderson said. “Today, I was just trying to attack the zone a little bit more, force contact.”
Luis Torrens homered into the home bullpen in right-center for an insurance run with two outs in the ninth. Texas center fielder DJ Peters couldn’t hang onto the ball after making a leaping catch over the fence when his arm hit the top of the fence.
Rookie Cal Raleigh scored Seattle’s first two runs, on sacrifice flies by Ty France in the third inning and Mitch Haniger in the fifth.
Paul Sewald, activated from the paternity list earlier Tuesday after missing four games, pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his fifth save in seven opportunities. The final out was a flyout to center by Jonah Heim, who hit walk-off homers against Seattle on July 31 and Aug. 1.
“Here comes Heim again with two out in the ninth inning,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said he was thinking. “He (Sewald) was out a few days and was fresh, but you never know what you’re going to get. Heck of a job.”
Rangers rookie starter Taylor Hearn (2-4) allowed two runs in five innings in making the best of his five career big league starts, four of them coming this season to go with 31 relief appearances. Hearn set career highs with five innings pitched and 72 pitches with manager Chris Woodward planning the stretch him further. He struck out two and walked none.
“If I had it my way, I wouldn’t want to know how many pitches I’ll throw,” Hearn said. “I always tell (pitching coach Doug Mathis), ‘Just tell me when to stop.’ ”
Raleigh was hit by a first-pitch fastball in the third and advanced to third on a single by J.P. Crawford. In the fifth, Raleigh reached on a one-out single and went to third when Crawford doubled just inside first base.
The Rangers are 7-22 since the All-Star break and at 42-77 matched a season-low 35 games under .500. Ibanez also singled, giving him two of Texas’ six hits.
The announced attendance of 15,140 was the Rangers’ smallest home crowd this season.
DIFFERENT TORO HEROICS
Abraham Toro failed to reach base for the first time in 19 games since being acquired from Houston on July 27. But the third baseman-turned-second baseman with Seattle was the key middle man in an eighth-inning double play that ended a Texas threat starting with shortstop Crawford ranging deep in the hole.
“Toro with the pivot – it’s something he’s been working on every day,” Servais said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: LHP Justus Sheffield (forearm strain) allowed four earned runs in 1 1/3 innings Sunday in his first rehab assignment with Tacoma, and Servais said there was no physical issue. Sheffield was scheduled to throw a bullpen session Tuesday.
Rangers: RHP Kohei Arihara (shoulder surgery), who made seven starts in April and early May, could be activated Sept. 1 and start out pitching three relief innings, according to Woodward.
UP NEXT
Wednesday night’s game will be a rematch of last Thursday afternoon’s meeting in Seattle between Mariners RHP Marco Gonzales (4-5, 4.35 ERA) and Rangers RHP Mike Foltynewicz (2-11, 5.66). Gonzales threw his third career complete game, limiting Texas to two hits. Foltynewicz (2-11, 5.66) gave up three runs in seven innings, equaling his longest outing of the season. He leads the major leagues in home runs allowed (33) and is 0-5 in his career vs. Seattle.
