SEATTLE (AP) — While Elvis Andrus and Rougned Odor took care of the offense, Mike Minor provided a lift on the mound.
Minor struck out a career-high 13 in seven innings, and the Texas Rangers pounded the Seattle Mariners 15-1 on Saturday night to stop a five-game losing streak.
Minor (3-2) matched the team record for strikeouts by a left-hander while allowing just three hits in his 111-pitch outing. He could have departed with the Rangers up big in the sixth, but he stayed in.
“I felt like the bullpen needed it,” Minor said.
It was a timely performance after Rangers’ bullpen picked up the loss in two of the previous three games.
“He understands the value of that extra inning,” Texas manager Chris Woodward said. “Then obviously he goes out and strikes out two more guys to get his career high, which is cool.”
Andrus and Odor each hit a three-run homer for Texas, which finished with a season-high 20 hits. Joey Gallo hit a solo drive for his ninth homer, and Logan Forsythe finished with four hits and three RBIs.
Other than Domingo Santana’s deep drive in the first inning, Minor went largely unchallenged by the usually heavy-hitting Mariners, who lead the league in extra-base hits.
“He’s able to use all his pitches in any spot any time,” Woodward said. “He’s got a lot of weapons and he’s showing them off right now.”
Seattle hurt itself with three errors, and Mike Leake (2-3) was tagged for five earned runs and 10 hits in five innings.
After Shin-Soo Choo opened the game with a walk, Odor reached on an error on shortstop Tim Beckham. Andrus then hit a long drive to left-center for his fourth homer.
Leake surrendered a one-out double to Forsythe in the second, and Jeff Mathis got on when Mallex Smith dropped a fairly routine running catch in center. After Choo popped out, Odor belted a drive to right for his first homer.
It was Texas’ third road win of the season in 12 tries.
Seattle manager Scott Servais had utility infielder Dylan Moore pitch the ninth, and inserted catcher Omar Narvaez at second base. Moore was charged with four runs and five hits.
“I have no words of wisdom — that was a rough ballgame,” Servais said. “We did that to them a couple nights ago and they turned around and flipped it on us tonight. You know, we’ve got to play good defense, and certainly we made some costly errors that didn’t help out Mike Leake at all tonight.”
ON THE WAY
Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager said he is ahead of schedule in his return from surgery on his left hand and could take live batting practice soon. Seager is eligible to return May 25.
He threw on the side before Saturday’s game and was happy to be back in the clubhouse with the team.
“Watching them on TV and watching them in Japan and everything was definitely weird for me,” Seager said.
HE’S HERE
Mike Wright pitched two innings for Seattle in his first appearance since he was acquired in a trade with Baltimore. He allowed one run and three hits.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: An MRI on Taylor Hearn’s left elbow showed inflammation but no acute injury, the team said. The left-hander was placed on the 10-day injured list after complaining of soreness following a disastrous call-up start Thursday that ended after one-third of an inning. … INF Asdrubal Cabrera remained out with a calf strain, but he is expected to play Sunday.
Mariners: 2B Dee Gordon got what Servais characterized as a spa day after he limped off the field following his game-ending slide at second base Friday night that allowed the winning run to score in a 5-4 victory in 11 innings. He is expected to play Sunday.
