Gagne gags M’s twice

ARLINGTON, Texas – Eric Gagne once converted a major league-record 84 straight games. What the 2003 National League Cy Young winner had never done was save two games on the same day – until Tuesday.

The burly Texas closer pitched the ninth inning in both games of a doubleheader, getting the last three outs after a leadoff hit each time, as the Rangers swept the Seattle Mariners. Texas won the nightcap 4-3 after a 2-1 victory in the opener.

Limited to 15 1/3 innings the last two seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers because of three operations (two elbow, one back), Gagne pitched in three games in a 24-hour span. It’s another strong indication that he is indeed healthy.

“You can talk about it, but until you prove it, that’s all that matters,” said Gagne, who has 16 saves in 17 chances this season. “Going back-to-back days and back-to-back games on the same day, it’s just good to prove it.”

Manager Ron Washington had said he had no intention of using Gagne twice. In the series opener late Monday night, Gagne pitched in a non-save situation and allowed three runs in the ninth inning as the Rangers held on to win 8-7.

“He came to me,” Washington said.

“Every time you give up runs, you want to get back on the mound and get the negative thoughts out of your mind,” Gagne said.

No. 9 hitter Travis Metcalf was 4 for 4 in the second game. His last hit was a tiebreaking RBI double in the eighth that scored Gerald Laird, who had a leadoff single before a sacrifice bunt by Ramon Vazquez.

In the opener, John Rheinecker allowed only an unearned run over seven innings in his second start of the season.

Seattle has lost five straight games since getting within one game of the American League West-leading Los Angeles Angels.

When the Dodgers declined Gagne’s $12 million option for 2007 last winter, few teams seriously considered the hard-throwing closer who, from 2002-04, had 84 consecutive saves. But the Rangers offered a $6 million deal that gave Gagne a chance to earn up to $5 million in performance bonuses.

Now other teams seeking bullpen help before Tuesday’s non-waiver trade deadline are showing interest. Gagne has said he wants to stay in Texas and the Rangers could offer a new contract if they don’t trade him.

In the second game, Raul Ibanez went from an apparent strikeout to a two-run double on the next pitch that put Seattle up 3-1 in the fifth. Ibanez appeared to think he had struck out on his swing until home plate umpire Jim Reynolds ruled a foul tip.

The Rangers got even in the bottom of the fifth when Mark Teixeira had a broken-bat RBI single and Michael Young scored on a wild pitch. Young’s RBI double in the third plated Metcalf, who had a leadoff triple.

C.J. Wilson (2-1) struck out three batters in 1 1/3 innings in relief of Kameron Loe.

Both second-game starters left tied 3-3 after throwing a lot of pitches. Seattle’s Jarrod Washburn threw 112 (63 strikes) in 5 2/3 innings. Loe, who had a 9.35 ERA his previous two starts since the All-Star break, threw 77 of 117 pitches for strikes.

Rheinecker (1-0), meanwhile, struck out four in the opener and his only walk was to Jose Lopez, the second batter of the game who scored on a groundout after an error.

Although the Rangers won’t need a No. 5 starter again until Aug. 4 because of two days off in the next week, Washington said Rheinecker could pitch out of the bullpen.

The Rangers turned a pair of two-out doubles into runs off Ryan Feierabend (1-4), who was sent back to Triple-A Tacoma after being recalled earlier in the day to make the spot start.

“They didn’t tell me when I would be sent down, but I knew this would only be one start,” said Feierabend, 21, a lefty. “But having an outing like this before going down was great.”