Mariners erupt with 4-run 9th to end slide

ARLINGTON -- At long last, the Mariners got that third run that eluded them in each of the past five games -- and for good measure, they tacked on three more in a 6-2 victory over the Rangers in their series opener Friday night.
After scoring two or fewer in the past five contests, including four losses, the Mariners were on the verge of doing it again until the ninth inning Friday. Jean Segura's two-run double was Seattle's 12th hit of the game, but the Mariners left eight runners on base prior to Segura's pivotal gapper to right-center off Rangers closer Keone Kela.
"We were due," manager Scott Servais said. "We were due to put a rally together ... it was a nice win, we needed to get back going again."

The Mariners broke a three-game skid behind a decent outing from Félix Hernández, who allowed two runs, both earned, on four hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings. Hernandez faced a potential hard-luck loss before Mitch Haniger tied the game at 2 with a solo homer in the eighth.
Haniger redeemed himself after running into an out in the second inning, when he led off with a double but was picked off trying to steal third.
Whether making self-inflicted outs or just falling to hit-robbing defense, the Mariners kept misfiring in Friday's first eight innings. The troubles began when Nelson Cruz hit a would-be RBI double into the glove of an almost completely horizontal center fielder Drew Robinson, diving to his left for the second out in the first inning.

The Rangers also turned a double play to end the third, and first baseman Ronald Guzmán made a nifty diving stop and threw to pitcher Mike Minor to end the fourth.
Seattle was unable to capitalize on six hits and a walk off Minor, who also lasted 5 1/3 innings. The Mariners had at least a runner on second and less than two out in five of the six innings Minor started.
"We certainly had a lot of chances earlier in the ballgame," Servais said. "Our situational hitting and some of the other stuff, our execution wasn't really good early."

The game's first batter, Dee Gordon, doubled and scored after a Segura single and a Robinson Canó RBI groundout. Just shy of three hours later, to start the ninth, Daniel Vogelbach singled. Pinch-runner Andrew Romine went to second on a sacrifice bunt and took third on Gordon's single, and Segura drove them both home.
The Mariners wound up scoring another recent game's worth of runs before the ninth was over thanks to Kyle Seager and Haniger, who each singled home a run before Edwin Díaz closed it out.
Segura said despite the weak offensive results from the last two series against Oakland and Houston, the Mariners' hitters were ready to break through.
"We were not frustrated," Segura said. "We've faced really good pitching … [but] down the stretch, we battled."
YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
Haniger's game-tying homer traveled a hefty 427 feet, landing on Greene's Hill, the batter's eye feature in center field at Globe Life Park. It left the bat at 108.0 mph on a 2-1 count from reliever Chris Martin.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Cano's flashy play preserves tie: The Rangers had a chance to retake the lead in the eighth, just after Haniger's homer knotted the score, but Cano made two nice plays to preserve the tie. Against reliever Juan Nicasio, Jurickson Profar led off the inning with a single but was forced out on Nomar Mazara's grounder to Cano. The Gold Glove second baseman then ended the inning with a gorgeous diving stop to his left and a quick throw from his heels to Segura, who relayed to first for the out.
"Robby brought the leather tonight," Servais said. "He made a couple plays -- as Robby does, he always makes it look easy and those plays aren't easy."

HE SAID IT
"It was a changeup and it just got away. I should not throw that pitch -- I should get him out with another ground ball to third. He told me when I hit him, this is the only chance I've got to get on base. ... It's fun every time I face Belly." -- Hernandez on his colorful, long-lived rivalry with Rangers third baseman Adrián Beltré, whom he hit with a pitch in the sixth inning

UP NEXT
The Mariners will send lefty James Paxton to the mound Saturday at 5:05 p.m. PT against Bartolo Colon, who threw seven perfect innings in his last outing at Houston. Paxton got his first win the last time out against the Astros, tossing six innings and allowing one run on three hits. Paxton is 0-2 with a 6.16 ERA in four career starts at Globe Life Park.