Rangers pound M’s

SEATTLE – David Murphy hit a go-ahead, three-run home run, Michael Young added his first grand slam in three years and the first-place Texas Rangers beat the lowly Seattle Mariners 11-6 on Wednesday night.

Texas took the lead with five runs in the fifth before Young’s first slam since Sept. 16, 2007.

It came off Garrett Olson in the seventh and capped a weird day in which the Rangers remained eight games ahead of Oakland in the A.L. West while their franchise was being auctioned for sale in a courthouse in Fort Worth, Texas.

Texas opening-day starter Scott Feldman, demoted into the bullpen last week, took over for wild and ineffective starter C.J. Wilson in the fourth inning and allowed two hits and one run in two innings. It was his first relief appearance since April 22, 2009.

Feldman (6-9) had been yanked from the rotation after going 0-3 with a 6.17 ERA in his last six starts.

Doug Fister (3-8), the A.L.’s ERA leader through late May before shoulder stiffness kept him out all but the final week of June, allowed a season-high seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings while losing his seventh straight decision.

Fister was 3-3 with a 2.45 ERA over his first 10 starts. In his seven starts since coming off the DL, he is 0-5 with an ERA of 6.59.

Texas scored 10 or more runs for ninth time this season – but first time since July 6. Also, the Rangers got at least 15 hits for the fourth time in 12 games against Seattle.