Logan Gilbert pitched into the seventh inning, allowing only two hits and striking out six batters, as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Texas Rangers 4-0 Tuesday night. Julio Rodriguez hit his first home run of the season, a 434-foot two-run shot in the third inning, to give the Mariners a 4-0 lead. Cal Raleigh also homered for the Mariners, putting them ahead 2-0 in the first inning. The Mariners (12-11) have now won eight of their last 11 games and are half a game ahead of the Rangers (12-12) in the AL West standings. The Rangers, who won six of their first eight games, have gone 6-10 since then and were held scoreless for the second time. Ryne Stanek, Gabe Speier, and Andrés Muñoz combined to finish off the shutout for Seattle.
Gilbert improved to 2-0 on the season, while Dunning dropped to 2-2. The Mariners have now won 11 consecutive games in which their starter has pitched at least five innings and allowed two earned runs or less.
In other news, the Mariners reinstated right-handed pitcher Collin Snider from the 15-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Tacoma. The Rangers activated catcher Jonah Heim from the MLB Bereavement List and right-handed pitcher Jonathan Hernández from the 15-day injured list. Right-handed pitcher Josh Sborz was sent to Double-A Frisco on an injury rehab assignment, while right-handed pitcher Owen White and catcher Sam Huff were optioned to Triple-A Round Rock.
The Mariners will face the Rangers again on Wednesday, with Bryce Miller starting for Seattle and Jon Gray starting for Texas.
