SEATTLE — John Hicks homered in his first two at-bats, Eli White added a three-run shot and the Texas Rangers snapped a 13-game losing streak in Seattle with a 7-3 victory over the Mariners on Saturday night.
Texas won in Seattle for the first time since July 23, 2019, and ended the longest active losing streak in an opponents’ park in the majors.
Hicks was the catalyst with his second career multi-homer game. A former prospect in the Mariners organization, he led off the third and fourth innings with home runs as part of a miserable return to the mound for Seattle starter Marco Gonzales.
Hicks’ first long ball was the start of a four-run inning capped by White’s line-drive homer that barely cleared the wall in left field for his fourth of the season.
Hicks opened the fourth with another towering drive that hugged the foul line but stayed fair and was the start of a three-run inning. Mitch Haniger had his second straight game with an error on a ball that should have been caught, and Adolis García’s double scored two more for the Rangers to end Gonzales’ night.
Texas starter Jordan Lyles earned his second straight win and had a third consecutive start of at least six innings and two earned runs or less. Lyles (4-5) allowed two runs over six innings, striking out six. He threw 124 pitches.
His only bad inning came in the third when Seattle loaded the bases with no outs and Ty France walked to force in a run. But the Mariners’ rally died as Lyles got a shallow fly ball, a strikeout and a deep flyout to end the threat.
Kyle Seager hit his 15th homer for Seattle.
Gonzales (1-5) made his first start since June 20 after missing his last turn due to the birth of his first child. His command was an issue from the outset and when Gonzales missed it was generally in the middle of the plate.
It was the second time this season Gonzales has allowed at least six earned runs and the second time he gave up three homers in a game.
It was the first time Gonzales failed to get through four innings since May 1, 2019, when he lasted 1 2/3 innings in a loss to the Chicago Cubs.
ROSTER MOVES
Texas RHP Dennis Santana was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock and LHP Wes Benjamin was optioned to clear the roster spot. Santana appeared in 16 games this season for the Los Angeles Dodgers but was traded to Texas on June 17. Santana pitched one inning of relief on Saturday with one strikeout.
Benjamin appeared in seven games with the Rangers and was 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA.
UP NEXT
Rangers: RHP Mike Foltynewicz (2-7, 5.17 ERA) makes his 17th start of the season. Foltynewicz has pitched well in his past two starts, allowing four earned runs over 13 innings.
Mariners: RHP Chris Flexen (6-3, 3.97) will make his 15th start. Flexen lasted five innings and allowed three runs in his last start against Toronto. At home, Flexen is 4-2 with a 2.05 ERA in eight starts this season.
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SEATTLE (AP) — Jake Fraley’s single with one out in the 10th inning scored Jake Bauers with the winning run, and the Seattle Mariners improved to 10-1 in extra innings this season with a 5-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night.
Nearly 4 1/2 hours after the first pitch, Fraley chopped a grounder off Texas reliever Taylor Hearn (2-3) into right field and set off another celebration for the Mariners. Seattle improved to 19-7 in one-run games and has won 13 straight overall at home against the Rangers.
Anthony Misiewicz (3-3) worked a perfect 10th to earn the victory, including a strikeout of Nate Lowe on the 12th pitch of the at-bat.
But it never should have reached extras if not for sloppy defense. Seattle’s third error of the night proved costly as third baseman Ty France’s errant throw with one out in the ninth allowed Eli White to reach second base. White scored on Jonah Heim’s RBI double to deep center field to tie the game at 4 minutes after it seemed Seattle was on the verge of another comeback victory.
The Mariners scored twice in the eighth on Luis Torrens’ solo home run and J.P. Crawford’s two-out single that scored Fraley from second base. It was the third hit of the night for Crawford and gave Seattle a 4-3 lead. Torrens’ homer was his sixth in his past 12 games.
Hector Santiago pitched in relief for Seattle in his first appearance since becoming the first player disciplined under Major League Baseball’s crackdown on grip-enhancing foreign substances when he was given a 10-game suspension. The penalty is being delayed until an appeal is decided.
Santiago struck out the side in the eighth inning sandwiched around a single by Lowe. Before the inning started, Santiago removed the rosin bag from the mound. Santiago said whatever was found on his glove last Saturday vs. the Chicago White Sox and led to his suspension was only rosin.
Santiago was checked and cleared by plate umpire John Tumpane after the inning finished.
Both teams had defensive issues that led to runs. Seattle’s Mitch Haniger dropped a short pop fly in third inning that helped lead to two runs for the Rangers on Brock Holt’s two-run single.
Texas had a pair of throwing errors from Brett Martin and Charlie Culberson in the seventh inning that led to a run for Seattle.
FOR STARTERS
Texas starter Kyle Gibson lowered his AL-best ERA to 1.98, allowing one run in 5 2/3 innings. Gibson is one of four pitchers in baseball with an ERA under 2.00. He struck out seven and walked three. The only damage against him was Fraley’s solo homer.
Seattle rookie Logan Gilbert allowed two earned runs and struck out six in another impressive outing. Gilbert has allowed three earned runs or less in seven of nine starts.
FULLY OPEN
In accordance with Washington state lifting most of its COVID-19 restrictions earlier this week, the Mariners were able to offer full capacity at T-Mobile Park for the first time since the end of the 2019 season. The announced crowd was 28,638.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: Seattle manager Scott Servais said injured 1B Evan White is still having pain in his right hip even after getting a cortisone shot recently. Servais said White is not close to picking up his baseball activity after having a setback during a rehab assignment. … RHP Justin Dunn (shoulder inflammation) is expected to begin a throwing program in the next few days. Dunn has been out since June 18.
UP NEXT
Rangers: RHP Jordan Lyles (3-5, 5.12 ERA) makes his 16th start of the season. Lyles has dropped his ERA by nearly two runs over his past eight starts. He allowed one run over seven innings in his last start.
Mariners: LHP Marco Gonzales (1-4, 5.10) starts for the first time since June 20 after going on the paternity list prior to his last start for the birth of his daughter. Gonzales pitched 6 1/3 innings and allowed two runs in his last start June 20 vs. Tampa Bay.
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