Julio Rodríguez delivered a standout performance Saturday night, leading the Seattle Mariners to an 8-4 victory over the Texas Rangers as they continue their push for a wild card spot. Rodríguez, who homered on the first pitch of the game and finished with four hits, drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning.
The Mariners (80-75) now sit just 1 1/2 games behind Minnesota for the third AL wild card spot, after the Twins were rained out in Boston. Seattle, which had a 10-game lead in the AL West earlier this season, is five games over .500 for the first time in more than a month and remains five games behind division leaders Houston with seven games left.
“I think there’s a good feeling going on in here,” said interim manager Dan Wilson. “The guys as a collective group are fighting together, and there’s a lot of confidence going.”
Rodríguez’s seventh leadoff homer of the season came against Texas starter Dane Dunning, who was filling in for Max Scherzer after the veteran pitcher was placed on the injured list with a hamstring strain, ending his season. Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, had been limited to nine starts this year due to various injuries.
The Rangers (73-82), who were eliminated from postseason contention on Friday night, briefly tied the game at 2-2 in the third inning on a two-run homer by Josh Smith. Despite the rally, Texas has now secured a seventh losing record in the past eight seasons.
Rodríguez, who drove in four runs, gave Seattle a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning with a tiebreaking RBI single. The Mariners tacked on two more runs with singles from Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena. Rodríguez added a two-run single in the ninth inning to seal the win.
“He’s just proving time and time again that he’s hitting the ball hard,” Wilson said. “Going to right field to start the game was a big lift.”
Seattle’s defense came up big in key moments. Arozarena made a sprinting catch to preserve a 5-4 lead with the bases loaded in the sixth, and Dylan Moore, who had moved to first base after an injury to Justin Turner, made a diving stop in the seventh to prevent further damage.
Emerson Hancock (4-4) earned the win for Seattle, allowing two runs over five innings. Texas manager Bruce Bochy lamented missed opportunities: “One hit changes the whole game. Tough luck. Marcus (Semien) smokes that ball, bases loaded. That’s all you can do.”
The Mariners will look to continue their wild card push in the series finale, with right-hander Bryan Woo (8-3, 2.45 ERA) facing Texas left-hander Andrew Heaney (5-14, 3.89 ERA).
Source: Associated Press
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