Pro Sports

Speedy DeShields helps pace Rangers in 5-3 win over Mariners

Posted September 11, 2017 7:00 am

By STEPHEN HAWKINS

Texas Rangers' Delino DeShields (3) and Shin-Soo Choo, right, of South Korea celebrate DeShields solo home run in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariner, Monday, Sept. 11, 2017, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) The Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Delino DeShields homered after taking a speedier trip around the bases for an earlier run as the Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 5-3 on Monday night in the opener of a four-game series matching teams still hoping to get one of the AL's two wild cards.

Cole Hamels (10-3) struck out seven in six innings to win for the first time in his last four starts.

DeShields reached on a one-out bunt single in the second, when he was initially called out before a replay challenge overturned the call. DeShields then raced home from first on Shin-Soo Choo's two-run double that made it 4-1, running through a stop sign from fill-in third-base coach Jason Wood and scoring on a nifty headfirst slide.

Two innings later, DeShields hit his fifth homer.

Alex Claudio worked a perfect ninth to get his eighth save in 12 chances for the Rangers (72-71), who got within two games of idle Minnesota for the American League's second wild-card spot. Seattle (71-73) is 3 1/2 games back.

Kyle Seager and Mitch Haniger homered for Seattle. Seager led off the second with his 23rd homer and Haniger, who had three hits and finished a triple shy of the cycle, had a two-run shot in the third.

Mariners starter Ariel Miranda (8-7) allowed gave up six hits and walked three in only 1 2-3 innings.

Texas led for good when Nomar Mazara hit a two-run double in the first - a ball that ricocheted off the upper half of the wall in right-center field.

COACHING THIRD

Wood, the Rangers' Triple-A manager, coached third base with Tony Beasley out to deal with a personal matter. But the Rangers said it wasn't a health issue for Beasley, who was limited last season while undergoing treatment for rectal cancer.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Mariners: OF Jarrod Dyson, whose 28 stolen bases were tied for third in the American League, is done for the season. He will have surgery to repair something similar to a groin injury. He hasn't played since Sept. 2, only his second game back after missing the previous 12 days with a right groin strain.

Rangers: Keone Kela, out more than a month with right shoulder soreness, threw another bullpen session and will be re-evaluated Tuesday. ... 2B Rougned Odor was back in the lineup a day after he twisted his left foot and ankle chasing a popup down the right-field line. Odor is the only Texas player to appear in all 143 games. He has started 141 of them.

UP NEXT

Mariners: Marco Gonzales (0-1, 6.20) will be the second consecutive Mariners lefty to start against Texas. His last game was in relief, throwing four scoreless against Oakland on Sept. 2.

Rangers: Right-hander Miguel Gonzalez makes his second start for the Rangers since they acquired him Aug. 31 in a trade from the Chicago White Sox. He allowed four runs over three innings in his first start last Wednesday in the first game of a doubleheader at Atlanta.

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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Andrew Moore stands at the front of the mound as Texas Rangers' Delino DeShields rounds the bases on his solo home run in the fourth inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 11, 2017, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) The Associated Press

Texas Rangers' Nomar Mazara (30) connects for a two-run double as Seattle Mariners catcher Mike Zunino and umpire Laz Diaz watch in the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 11, 2017, in Arlington, Texas. The hit scored Shin-Soo Choo and Elvis Andrus. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) The Associated Press

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cole Hamels throws to the Seattle Mariners in the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 11, 2017, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) The Associated Press

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Ariel Miranda (37) throws to the Texas Rangers in the second inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 11, 2017, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) The Associated Press

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cole Hamels (35) throws to the Seattle Mariners in the second inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 11, 2017, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) The Associated Press

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Andrew Moore (48) throws to the Texas Rangers in the fourth inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 11, 2017, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) The Associated Press

Texas Rangers' Elvis Andrus crosses the plate on a Nomar Mazara double as Seattle Mariners catcher Mike Zunino watches in the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 11, 2017, in Arlington, Texas. The hit also scored Shin-Soo Choo. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) The Associated Press

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