American League Game Summary - Texas at Seattle
(Monday, May 21st)
Final Score: Seattle 6, Texas 1
Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Felix Hernandez spun eight innings of one-run
ball Monday as the Seattle Mariners downed the Texas Rangers, 6-1, in the
opener of a three-game set at Safeco Field.
Hernandez (4-3) scattered six hits and walked two while fanning seven. Ichiro
Suzuki and Jesus Montero knocked in two runs apiece and Dustin Ackley also
plated a run as the Mariners won their fourth straight contest.
Yu Darvish (6-2) allowed five runs -- four earned -- on just four hits, but
walked a career-high six batters over four full frames, marking the shortest
outing of his brief major league career.
"He had good velocity. He just didn't throw the ball in the strike zone. It's
one loss, we'll move on," Rangers manager Ron Washington said about Darvish.
"You just need to take it, move on and learn what you can."
Mitch Moreland provided the offense with his solo blast in the eighth, but the
Rangers lost for the third time in five tries.
Seattle jumped in front in their first at-bat as Michael Saunders worked a
one-out walk and trotted home on Suzuki's triple into the right-field corner.
The Mariners tacked on three more in the third after Brendan Ryan singled to
start the inning and Ackley worked a walk.
Suzuki followed two batters later with a flare into shallow left-center field
to score Ackley and Saunders before moving to third on Josh Hamilton's throw
that wound up in the seats on the third-base line.
Montero then launched a sac fly to center field to score Suzuki and put the
Mariners on top 4-0.
Darvish walked the bases loaded in the fourth before Ackley singled to make it
a five-run difference.
Seattle added a run in the seventh when Kyle Seager worked a two-walk before
scoring on Montero's double to left to make it a 6-0 contest.
Moreland ended Hernandez's shutout bid with a leadoff blast in the top of the
eighth to bring the Rangers within 6-1, but Tom Wilhelmsen closed the door
with a perfect ninth.
"It's not easy against this lineup," said Hernandez. "(I was) just making good
adjustments, the ball was down in the zone, I was pounding the strike zone and
the sinker was pretty good."
Game Notes
Darvish has allowed nine earned runs in two starts against the Mariners, while
allowing just 10 earned runs in his seven starts against the rest of the
league...The Rangers placed pitcher Neftali Feliz on the 15-day disabled list
on Monday with right elbow inflammation...The Rangers won three of four at
home versus the Mariners from April 9-12.
05/22 02:12:07 ET

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