Rangers Swept By Mariners

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ARLINGTON, Texas — The Seattle Mariners completed a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers by combining the dependability of their ace pitcher with a surprise contribution from their struggling first baseman.

Right-hander Felix Hernandez gutted out 6 2/3 innings, and first baseman Logan Morrison went 4-for-5 with a tiebreaking two-run double in the fifth inning, leading the Mariners to a 5-2 win over the Rangers on Wednesday night.

Morrison broke out of a season-long slump with singles in the second, seventh and ninth innings and a fifth-inning double down the right field line that scored right fielder Justin Ruggiano and designated hitter Nelson Cruz.

Cruz, who went 2-for-4 with an intentional walk, also hit his major-league-leading 10th home run, a 430-foot blast to left that gave him a big-league-leading 22 RBIs.

Hernandez (4-0) earned his first victory at Globe Life Park in Arlington since September 2010, giving up two runs on five hits and one walk with four strikeouts. While doing so, he became the Mariners’ all-time leader in innings pitched. Hernandez eclipsed the former mark of 2,093 innings logged by lefty Jamie Moyer over 11 seasons, finishing the night with 2,095 1/3.

“It’s a tough place to pitch,” Hernandez said. “It was rough. I didn’t have my best stuff, but I found ways to get people out.”

Right-hander Fernando Rodney pitched a scoreless ninth for his seventh save.

Hernandez continued a good streak for Seattle starters. Over the past eight

games, the Mariners rotation has a 1.55 ERA with 53 strikeouts. Seattle starters have not allowed more than two earned runs during that span and in 10 of the past 12 games.

Wandy Rodriguez (0-1) struggled with his control for the Rangers, who lost for the eighth time in 11 games. The Texas right-hander gave up four runs on five hits and five walks, including one intentional, over 4 1/3 innings.

Texas, which has a major-league-low .210 team batting average, managed five hits — including RBI singles by right fielder Carlos Peguero and catcher Carlos Corporan — though none in the last four innings.

Hernandez and right-handed relievers Danny Farquhar and Rodney retired Texas’ last 14 hitters.

“We need to continue to put our feet in the batter’s box with confidence and string quality of bats together,” Texas manager Jeff Banister said. “This is a tough game to play.

“It’s a challenge to hit. From time to time, the pitcher has something to say with how well you hit or don’t hit.”

While winning for the first time in six starts at Texas, Hernandez remained just short of another career benchmark. He is two strikeouts shy of establishing an all-time mark by a Venezuelan-born pitcher. Johan Santana has 1,988 over a 12-year career.

“Our starting pitching is beginning to come around,” McClendon said. “They’re really starting to command the strike zone. When you command the strike zone with your fastball, you have a chance to be successful.”

Morrison, who entered the day hitting .149 and riding an 0-for-14 skid, had a hit in each of Seattle’s scoring innings, including the Mariners’ one-run ninth.

“He’s coming around,” Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said.

Cruz’s long blast to left to lead off the fourth gave Seattle an early lead. Left fielder Rickie Weeks, who followed with a walk, scored the Mariners’ second run from third as the Rangers turned a double play on catcher Mike Zunino’s groundball to short.

The Rangers answered in the bottom half of the inning.

Peguero’s RBI double scored third baseman Adrian Beltre, who walked to open the inning, and Peguero came around to score on Corporan’s base hit to left-center.

Rodriguez got out of the fourth inning unscathed after giving up a walk, a wild pitch and a second walk and committing an error while loading the bases with two outs.

The Mariners didn’t let him off the hook in the fifth.

After giving up a double to right fielder Justin Ruggiano and intentionally walking Cruz to start the inning, Rodriguez walked Weeks — a .211 hitter — a third time before Morrison’s two-run double down the right-field line gave Seattle a 4-2 lead.

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