ARLINGTON, Texas – Ty France hit a two-run single in the eighth inning as the Seattle Mariners rallied from a four-run deficit and beat the Texas Rangers 6-5 on Thursday night, extending their winning streak to 11 games.
Seattle's win streak is the second-longest in club history behind the 2001 Mariners, who won 15 straight. That team was the franchise's most recent playoff team. The run is also the second-longest streak in the majors this season, behind Atlanta’s 14-game win streak.
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The Mariners have gone 19-3 since being 10 games under .500 on June 19 and have moved into the AL wild-card race.
The Mariners trailed 5-1 going to the seventh inning before tagging Texas’ bullpen for two runs in the seventh and three in the eighth. Up to that point, Seattle's only run came on Sam Haggarty’s inside-the-park homer in the fourth inning.
Matt Festa (2-0) pitched a perfect seventh inning and earned the win. Diego Castillo stranded runners at first and second in the ninth inning and picked up his sixth save in six chances.
Haggarty had his fourth career four-hit game and his second in 10 days.
Corey Seager, added to the American League All-Star team earlier Thursday, had a double and two RBIs for Texas.
Rangers starter Martin Perez allowed one run on three hits, and matched a career high with nine strikeouts before being pulled after five innings and 102 pitches.
Haggarty and Julio Rodriguez scored on Eugenio Suarez’s single in the seventh inning, pulling Seattle within 5-3. After pinch-hitter Adam Frazier, Abraham Toro and Haggarty loaded the bases in the eighth with none out, reliever Dennis Santana (3-5) hit Rodriguez to pull Seattle within a run. France followed with his single to left, scoring Toro and Haggarty.
Seattle starter Marco Gonzales gave up all five runs on a season-high 11 hits, one short of his career high, in six innings.
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Elier Hernandez made his big-league debut as Texas’ DH after having his contract selected from Triple-A Round Rock. The 27-year-old singled in his first at-bat, scored, and singled again in the sixth.
SHORT HOPS
Texas RF Adolis Garcia singled in the first to end an 0-for-18 skid. … Heim had two doubles and Taveras two singles for Texas. … The Rangers optioned OF Steven Duggar to Round Rock to make room for Hernandez on the roster. … Mariners manager Scott Servais said RHP Chris Flexen will start Sunday’s series finale on short rest on the final day before the All-Star break.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners SS J.P. Crawford was scratched from the original lineup following on-field warmups.
UP NEXT
Friday night’s game will match Mariners LHP Robbie Ray (7-6, 3.51 ERA) against Rangers RHP Taylor Hearn (4-5, 5.86). Ray has allowed only four earned runs in 39 2/3 innings in his last six starts. Hearn, added to the taxi squad on Thursday, most recently pitched for the Rangers on June 25 and started twice for Round Rock since then.
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