Rangers score eight runs in 11th, beat Mariners

SEATTLE – You could almost feel this coming Saturday afternoon after the Mariners bungled away a gift-wrapped opportunity to secure a walk-off victory over Texas in the 10th inning.

The Rangers opened the 11th with six straight hits against rookie reliever Rob Rasmussen in an eight-run explosion that produced an 11-3 victory at Safeco Field.

That missed chance in the 10th had the Mariners playing what-could-have-been after a two-base error put the winning run in scoring position with no outs.

“Obviously, that proved to be the game,” said Kyle Seager, one of three players to strike out against Texas closer Shawn Tolleson.

“You get a guy on second with no outs. We had three shots at him, and weren’t able to come through.”

Adrian Beltre started the winning rally with a leadoff single into center against Rasmussen, the sixth Mariners pitcher. Mitch Moreland followed with a single up the middle.

Beltre moved to third.

Josh Hamilton punched an RBI single into right, and the Rangers led 4-3. Singles by Elvis Andrus and Rougned Odor added another run and loaded the bases.

“I just didn’t execute,” Rasmussen said. “Our bullpen did a great job. We picked up six innings before I came in there. I needed to pick us up, and I just flat out didn’t execute.

“Especially on the breaking ball. I left a lot of them up.”

Chris Gimenez capped Rasmussen’s nightmare by hammering a two-run double off the left-field wall for a 7-3 lead. In came Joe Beimel, who yielded a two-run single to Delino DeShields.

Gimenez’s double closed the book on Rasmussen (1-1) at six runs without getting an out. His ERA jumped from 2.45 to 17.18.

“He elevated,” manager Lloyd McClendon said. “He’s probably been overworked a little bit. I think he was three out of five (games pitched) coming into this ballgame. For a young kid, that’s tough.

“We had no bullpen left. Beimel was on fumes. He had nothing left. You talk about a gutsy guy. He came in and tried to get us out of that inning.”

Rasmussen insisted he wasn’t fatigued.

Texas wasn’t done. Prince Fielder drove a Beimel breaking ball over the left-field wall for a two-run homer. Eight runs.

The Mariners squandered an enormous opportunity in the 10th inning when leadoff man Seth Smith reached second on a two-base error. Later, Texas intentionally walked two batters to load the bases with two outs before Jesus Montero struck out.