Austin Nola hit a sacrifice fly that scored Dee Gordon with the tiebreaking run in the top of the ninth inning and Omar Narvaez added an insurance run with an RBI single as the Seattle Mariners snapped a three-game losing streak with a 5-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Thursday night.
Gordon led off the ninth with a single to right, moved to second when Mallex Smith walked and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by J.P. Crawford. Nola's fly out scored Gordon and Narvaez's single to shallow center scored Smith.
Matt Magill (4-1) allowed one base runner in the eighth and ninth innings.
Jose Leclerc (2-4) allowed both runs in the ninth inning on two singles and two walks. The Rangers lost for the fifth time in seven games.
Felix Hernandez came away with his second straight no decision after missing more than three months with a lat strain. Hernandez allowed all three runs on five hits and struck out three.
Lance Lynn gave up three runs, one earned, in six innings. He struck out five, raising his season total to 202 and becoming the eighth pitcher in Texas club history to strike out 200 or more in a season.
Seattle scored three runs in the second inning when Lynn hit Dylan Moore on the left elbow with the bases loaded. Two runs scored when Rangers first baseman Logan Forsythe dropped a throw on a double play try on a ground ball hit by Gordon that would have ended the inning.
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Willie Calhoun homered in the first inning off the facing off the second deck in right field. Calhoun has hit five of Texas' last nine home runs over 10 games.
The Rangers scored a run in the fourth inning when Scott Heineman nearly hit into a triple play. Heineman hit a ground ball to third with the bases loaded. Kyle Seager stepped on the bag and threw to Gordon at second for the second out. Gordon's relay to first was just late, allowing Nick Solak to score.
SHORT HOPS
Smith stole his major league-leading 37th base in the fifth inning, diving beneath a tag by Rangers 2B Rougned Odor. Texas challenged the call, which stood after a delay of more than 90 seconds. ... Rangers rookie DH Nick Solak, with two singles, has hit safely in eight of his 10 big league games and has reached base in all 10. ... Odor went 0 for 3 with a walk, extending his hitless streak to 28 at-bats.
UP NEXT
Mariners left-hander Marco Gonzales (14-10, 4.17) will make his 29th start, equaling his career high, and needs to last only three innings to set a career high for innings. Gonzales is 2-2 against Texas this season.
Rangers right-hander Kolby Allard (2-0, 4.64) comes off 6 1/3 shutout innings against the White Sox last Saturday during which he struck out eight and walked none.
