Texas strands 11 runners, magic number stays at six. Mariners' shortstop Jack Wilson (above) broke a 1-1 tie with an RBI single in the seventh inning. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)For the second time in the last three games, a Nelson Cruz solo homer is all the Texas Rangers (83-65) have been able to muster offensively against the Seattle Mariners (57-92). Most recently, Texas was a woeful 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position Sunday afternoon as Mariners' starter Doug Fister (W, 6-12) pitched his way out of jams all afternoon. Fister allowed only one run in seven innings, despite allowing nine hits, and kept Rangers' hitters off-balance just enough to pull out the win.
"Early in the game we had some chances we just didn't cash in," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "Fister made the pitches in those situations when he had to."
Texas had runners at the corners in both the third and fifth innings with two outs, but were unable to come away with any runs on the board. The Rangers had an even better chance in the sixth, stringing together four straight hits, but only accumulated one run on the Cruz solo shot. Vladimir Guerrero tried to stretch a single into a double to start the inning and was thrown out. Cruz followed with the homer, and then both Ian Kinsler and Mitch Moreland singled putting runners on the corners again - this time with only one out in the inning. Texas failed to capitalize, Matt Treanor and Julio Borbon had consecutive ground-outs to end the inning.
"There were times you have to slow down and you have a couple runners on, you take a couple deep breaths and get back and go to work," Fister said.
Fister was able to out-pitch Rangers' starter Tommy Hunter (L, 12-4), who allowed two runs on six hits in six innings pitched. The Mariners first run came on a bizarre play in which second-baseman Chone Figgins failed to touch home plate after outfielder Franklin Gutierrez doubled in the bottom of the sixth. Figgins managed to score after nonchalantly heading back and touching the plate as Treanor let the ball slip out of his hands in the collision. Treanor blocked the plate completely, but failed to hold onto a great relay through by Elvis Andrus.
Seattle took the lead in the seventh thanks to outfielder Ryan Langerhans triple into the right-field corner. Shortstop Josh Wilson followed with the game-winning single to left that chased Hunter and would end up giving the Mariners the one run win.
Texas had two runners on in each of the next two innings but failed to get them past second base.
The Rangers had a golden opportunity in this series to give themselves a better shot at clinching the division before traveling to Oakland for a three-game set Thursday night, and let it slip away. Now that series might actually mean something.
Texas now travels to Anaheim to take on the L.A. Angels for a three-game series starting Monday night. The Angels are 73-76 this season, 10.5 behind Texas in the American League West. Texas has a 7-5 edge in 12 meetings so far this season.
Derek Holland (3-3, 4.12 ERA) will get the start for the Rangers and has pitched well in his last two outings, allowing only one earned run with 13 strikeouts in nine innings pitched. Jered Weaver (12-11, 2.96) will take the mound for L.A. and had pitched even better in his last two outings, going 15 innings with only one run allowed on six hits with 13 K's. Weaver is fifth in the A.L. in earned run average (ERA) and went seven shutout innings in his last start this year against the Rangers, as the Angels won 4-1.
First pitch is scheduled for 9:05 p.m.
News and Notes:
- Elvis Andrus broke an 0 for 14 slump with an infield single in the fifth inning. Andrus went 1 for 5 for the game.
- With the loss, Texas is now 35-39 on the road this season - worst among current playoff teams. Minnesota is the next worst at 40-35.
(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)
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