Julio Rodríguez hit a home run on the first pitch and had a tiebreaking RBI single in the sixth inning during his four-hit game, helping the Seattle Mariners, who are chasing a wild card spot, defeat the Texas Rangers 8-4 on Saturday night.
With this win, the Mariners (80-75) moved within 1.5 games of Minnesota for the third AL wild card spot after the Twins’ game in Boston was rained out. Detroit is a half-game behind Minnesota.
Seattle, which had a 10-game lead in the AL West in mid-June, now trails Houston by five games with seven games left to play. This win puts them five games over .500 for the first time in over a month.
“I think there’s a good feeling going on in here,” interim manager Dan Wilson said. “I think the guys as a collective group are fighting together and there’s a lot of confidence going.”
Rodríguez hit the seventh leadoff homer of the season for the Mariners, and it was his first one. He connected off Dane Dunning, who was starting in place of Max Scherzer after the three-time Cy Young Award winner was scratched.
Scherzer was put on the 15-day injured list due to a left hamstring strain, which ends his season. The 40-year-old right-hander has faced various health issues, limiting him to nine starts this year.
Josh Smith hit a two-run homer to tie the game in the third inning for the Rangers, a night after they were eliminated from postseason contention. This loss gave Texas (73-82) its seventh losing record in the last eight seasons.
After hitting two home runs in Seattle’s 8-2 win in the series opener, Rodríguez sent his 19th home run of the season to right field against a 90 mph sinker from Dunning, who allowed seven hits and two runs in 3 2/3 innings.
Rodríguez, who had four RBIs, gave Seattle a 3-2 lead with the first of three consecutive run-scoring singles off José Leclerc in the sixth inning. Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena followed with their own singles. Rodríguez then added a two-run single in the ninth.
“He’s just proving time and time again that he’s hitting the ball hard,” Wilson said. “He’s able to leave in any part of the ballpark. Going to right field to start the game was a big lift.”
