SEATTLE (AP) — George Kirby threw 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball and Luke Raley hit his fifth home run of the season as the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 7-3 on Saturday night to snap a four-game losing streak.
Kirby (3-2) entered the game having dominated Texas in his career, allowing just 10 earned runs across 68 2/3 innings. He stayed sharp on Saturday, giving up seven hits while striking out five and issuing two walks.
Kirby was attended
to by the team’s training staff in the fourth inning following a single by Josh Jung that deflected off the right-hander. Jung also hit a solo shot off Kirby in the sixth.
Raley gave the Mariners a 4-1 lead in the sixth inning on a solo homer off Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi (2-3). It traveled 381 feet, and gave Raley more home runs than he hit all of last season (four).
Seattle took a 3-0 lead in the fourth following a throwing error by Rangers second baseman Ezequiel Duran. On a slow roller to second by Raley with a runner on first, Duran airmailed his throw to second base, which allowed both runners to move into scoring position. Dominic Canzone plated both with a single.
Cole Young added a two-run single in the eighth. Closer Andrés Muñoz, who took the loss his last time out, entered with two outs and the tying run at the plate in the ninth inning and recorded his second save of the season.
Seattle did not start Brendan Donovan at third base on Saturday after he exited Friday’s 5-0 loss with a left hip issue. He is not expected to be considered for the 10-day injured list.
Brandon Nimmo's single in the eighth-inning was his 1,000th career major league hit.
Mariners RHP Bryan Woo (0-2, 2.16) faces off against Rangers lefty MacKenzie Gore (2-1, 3.00) on Sunday in the series finale
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
