Mariners rebound from being no-hit with 5-4 win at Rangers
ARLINGTON, Texas – Mitch Haniger had a tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh inning and the Seattle Mariners bounced back from being no-hit in their last game with a 5-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night.
Dylan Moore and J.P. Crawford both hit tying two-run homers for the Mariners, who two days earlier at home were held without a hit when Baltimore’s John Means faced the minimum 27 batters.
“Finally got the bats going, I thought offensively tonight we were much, much better,” M’s manager Scott Servais said. “A lot of good things offensively.”
Nate Lowe homered for the Rangers, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. His 451-foot blast to straightaway center leading off the third extended his career-best on-base streak to 20 games in a row.
Chris Flexen (3-1) worked into the seventh, not giving up a run after Lowe’s seventh homer leading off the third that put the Rangers ahead 4-2. Flexen scattered 10 hits with two strikeouts and a walk in 6⅓ innings.
Servais said Flexen deserved a lot of credit for making adjustments through the middle innings “to settle the game down, and our bullpen comes in on the white horse again.”
Anthony Misiewicz needed only nine pitches to get five outs. That included two double plays, the first a tough 4-6-3 right after the lefty entered the game with two on and one out.
Kendall Graveman then struck out three around a one-out double in the ninth for his fourth save in as many chances. The right-hander with a hard sinker has thrown 14⅓ scoreless innings in his 12 appearances this season.
“I feel bad for the hitters, he’s literally throwing 100 mph Whiffle balls,” said Crawford, the shortstop. “Glad I’m on the defensive side of it.”
Texas starter Mike Foltynewicz struck out five with one walk in his 6⅔ innings before No. 9 batter Taylor Trammell greeted reliever Josh Sborz (3-2) with a checked-swing double that blooped into short left field near the line. Haniger followed with a single to left for a 5-4 lead.
Crawford reached base four times, going 3 for 3 and getting hit by a pitch. His first homer of the season made it 4-4 right after Ty France led off the fourth with a double that snapped his 0-for-24 slide.
That was two innings after Crawford’s leadoff single was followed by Moore’s shot that made it 2-2.
Texas manager Chris Woodward wasn’t happy with team’s approach at the plate against Flexen after scoring in each of the first three innings, including their first two batters reaching and scoring for a quick 2-0 lead.
“I was a little bit frustrated in some of the at-bats the second and third time,” Woodward said. “We were hitting him hard the first time around. We’ve got to stick to the plan right there and try to wear him down, be we just didn’t.”