Texas picks perfect time to end HR drought

SEATTLE -- The long ball, almost AWOL for a week, returned to the Rangers' offense on Tuesday night.

The Rangers hit four home runs in a game for the first time in over two months and needed them all to hold off the Mariners, 9-6, at Safeco Field. Seven of the Rangers' nine runs came off the four home runs.

"You need games like this to give you confidence," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "I don't think our guys lack confidence, but it reassures us the approach we took is the approach necessary to click on all cylinders."

Video: TEX@SEA: Choo's three-run blast puts Rangers up, 4-0

The Rangers entered the game having hit just two home runs in their last eight games, including none in the previous four. The nine runs were the most scored by the Rangers since a 12-4 victory over the Rays on Aug. 15.

"It's one of those things you are going to go through during the course of the season," first baseman Mitch Moreland said. "We're still finding ways to win ballgames. That's what good teams do. When the offense is down, the pitching and defense picks it up. Tonight we just tried to come out early and put some runs on the board. We had some big innings and it put us in good position."

Video: TEX@SEA: Gallo launches the Rangers' fourth home run

This is the fourth time this season the Rangers have hit four home runs in a game and the first since doing it back-to-back on June 29-30 against the Orioles in Baltimore. They also hit four in a game at Oakland on April 9. The last time the Rangers hit four home runs in a game at Safeco Field was on Sept. 10, 2008.

Moreland started the home run barrage with a one-out shot off of Mariners starter Taijuan Walker in the second inning. It was only Moreland's third home run in 138 at-bats since the All-Star break, but he also now leads the Rangers with 19 on the season.

Shin-Soo Choo, who has been on a tear since the All-Star break, added a three-run home run in the top of the third to give the Rangers a 4-0 lead. Choo is now hitting .320 with 31 runs, six home runs, 26 RBI and a .542 slugging percentage since the All-Star break.

Video: TEX@SEA: Odor drills two-run shot to add to the lead

The Mariners scored one in the bottom of the third off of Rangers starter Cole Hamels. But Rougned Odor, hitting in the seventh hole, responded with a two-run home run off of Walker in the fourth. Joey Gallo, who was batting eighth, had an eighth-inning home run that was his first since being called from Triple-A Round Rock last week.

"We need production from the bottom of the order," Banister said. "With Odor and Gallo showing up, we got some runs on the board from down there and that's key. To make this thing go, we need production from 1-9."