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Seattle Mariners

Hisashi Iwakuma lifts Mariners, again

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma, of Japan, takes a timeout during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday. The Mariners won 3-2. (Associated Press)
Associated Press
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma, of Japan, takes a timeout during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday. The Mariners won 3-2. (Associated Press)
ARLINGTON, Texas — Hisashi Iwakuma followed his no-hitter by limiting Texas to two runs and five hits over seven innings as the Seattle Mariners beat the Rangers 3-2 on Tuesday night. All of Seattle’s scoring came in the first inning on three extra-base hits, including Seth Smith’s 10th home run of the season. Iwakuma (5-2) gave up a hit to Texas’ second batter, a single by Shin-Soo Choo. He retired 12 straight at one point and struck out six while walking one. The right-hander no-hit Baltimore 3-0 in Seattle last Wednesday. All four times a Mariner has thrown a complete-game no-hitter, he has allowed a hit in the first inning of his next start. The Rangers’ winning streak ended at five games. Iwakuma is 6-0 in his last seven starts against Texas. One of the hits off Iwakuma was Rougned Odor’s ninth homer of the year. Rangers rookie right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez (2-5) set a career high with seven strikeouts and allowed three runs and five hits in six innings. Carson Smith worked a perfect ninth to earn his 13th save in 16 attempts since becoming Seattle’s closer in early June. Smith’s homer followed doubles by Kyle Seager and Nelson Cruz. Seager went 2 for 3 to improve his career batting average at Globe Life Park to .346. Cruz extended his streak of reaching base to 29 consecutive games, the longest in the American League this season. Odor hit nine homers last season in 114 games and needed 81 games to do so this year. Gonzalez won his first two starts after his initial call-up in late May. Since then, he has five losses and a no-decision. Josh Hamilton missed his third consecutive game for Texas and fifth in the last seven with a sore left knee. Hamilton said he doesn’t plan to play in Wednesday’s series finale and hopes to return Thursday, when the Rangers open a four-game series at Detroit.