ARLINGTON, Texas — After losing their last nine games against them and 10 of the 12 meetings this season, the Texas Rangers finally found a way to beat the Seattle Mariners, prevailing, 7-4.
But in an uncharacteristically sloppy performance for the Mariners, it wasn’t so much that the Rangers beat them, but that they beat themselves with mistakes and failed execution.
It was more than the Mariners’ restored offense could overcome. The Mariners lost just for the 13th time in 62 games where they’ve scored four runs or more.
The Mariners seemed to be headed for another win over the Rangers, grabbing an early 3-0 lead, picking up two runs in the first inning off Rangers starter Dane Dunning and another in the second.
Facing the Rangers for the fifth time this season, yes, five starts, Gonzales cruised through the first three innings, allowing just one hit — a leadoff double to Ezequiel Duran in the third — and no runs.
But his outing fell apart in the fourth inning.
After getting Corey Seager to lineout to center to start the inning, Adolis Garcia hit a fly ball to left-center.
Left fielder Jesse Winker got a late read on the ball and didn’t close on it fast enough to make a play. It went for a double instead of an out.
Jonah Heim followed with a hard ground ball through the left side of the infield. Winker couldn’t cut it off, allowing Garcia to score with ease while Heim got a double instead of a single.
Those extra 90 feet loomed large when Nathaniel Lowe followed with a bloop single to shallow left field. Heim was able to move to third base on the play.
A soft ground ball off the bat of Charlie Culberson allowed Heim to score from third meanwhile Eugenio Suarez made a bad throw to first that allowed Lowe to move to third.
The Rangers continued to add. Duran singled up the middle to tie the game and Bubba Thompson executed a perfect safety squeeze bunt to score Culberson and give the Rangers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
When the carnage ended, all four runs in the inning were charged to Gonzales but could’ve been largely avoided by the Mariners.
The Rangers made it 5-3 the next inning and it couldn’t be blamed on the defense. Seager golfed a change-up below the strike zone deep into the right-field seats.
Gonzales’ line: five innings pitched, five runs allowed on nine hits with no walks and two strikeouts.
The Mariners trimmed the lead to 5-4 in the sixth inning when Suarez made up for his error by launching a solo homer to left-center for his 19th homer of the season.
But Seattle didn’t capitalize.
Penn Murfee gave up a run in the bottom of the sixth while Chris Flexen’s leadoff walk in the eighth inning and Cal Raleigh’s throwing error helped another run to score.
