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 Now that he's healthy, Paxton is pitching like the phenom he was
touted to be while keeping the Mariners in the American League
wild-card race.
Paxton threw 6 2/3 shutout innings on Tuesday night, when the
Mariners found offense on the way to a 5-0 win over the Texas
Rangers.
Paxton (4-1) threw a season-high 118 pitches over 6 2/3 innings,
allowing just four hits. Reliever Danny Farquhar finished off the
shutout with 2 1/3 hitless innings.
"It's a lot of fun," Paxton said of being a part of the rotation
after missing three months with shoulder and forearm problems.
"We're playing some important baseball games now, and it's great to
be a part of it."
Seattle had three extra-base hits over the first four innings,
including a solo home run from second baseman Robinson Cano, to take
a 5-0 lead. One night earlier, the Rangers shut out the Mariners
2-0.
With the win, the Mariners maintained their half-game lead over the
Detroit Tigers for the second AL wild card. Seattle (72-59) also
surpassed its win total from the entire 2013 season, when the
Mariners went 71-91 under former manager Eric Wedge.
Paxton lowered his season ERA to 1.83 over seven starts. Since
making his major league debut last September, he is 7-1 with a 1.71
ERA over 11 career starts.
"I'm getting closer with each start," he said. "I feel like my stuff
is getting better each time out."
Texas starter Nick Martinez got roughed up for five runs on six hits
and four walks over five innings. Martinez (3-10) has a 5.88 ERA as
a starter this season.
Martinez is learning on the fly while pitching for an injury-plagued
Texas rotation.
"I'd much rather learn while going 25-0," he said with a laugh.
The Rangers (51-80) failed in their bid to win on three consecutive
days for the first time since late May.
Third baseman Adrian Beltre had two of the Rangers' four hits, but
he also committed his 11th error of the season.
"We had chances to score some runs, but all of it came with two
outs," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "We couldn't get it
done."
Cano gave the Mariners a 1-0 lead with a two-out home run in the
bottom of the first inning. It was his 12th home run of the year.
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Catcher Jesus Sucre hit with a bases-loaded, RBI groundout in the second
inning to put Seattle ahead 2-0. Right fielder Endy Chavez drove in two
runs with a fourth-inning double, and left fielder Dustin Ackley
followed up center fielder Austin Jackson's two-out triple with an RBI
single to give the Mariners a 5-0 lead.
The Rangers threatened in the third inning, but only after a replay review
overturned what was originally ruled to be the third out of the inning.
Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus was originally ruled to have grounded into
a double play, but after a protest from manager Ron Washington, umpires
looked the review and ruled Andrus beat the throw from second base. That
kept the inning alive with runners on first and third before right
fielder Alex Rios grounded out to end the inning officially.
NOTES: The Mariners announced before the game that GM Jack Zduriencik
signed a multiyear extension. Zduriencik has had a rough tenure in his
six years, but several moves before and during the 2014 season helped
put Seattle in position to contend for a playoff spot. ... Seattle
manager Lloyd McClendon said RHP Erasmo Ramirez will be called up from
Triple-A Tacoma to start Wednesday's game against the Rangers. Ramirez
is 1-5 with a 4.06 ERA in 13 starts with the Mariners this season. ...
Seattle RF Chris Denorfia (neck stiffness) was a late scratch. Endy
Chavez started in his place. ... Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre told The
Dallas Morning News that Mariners RHP Felix Hernandez "chickened out" by
having his scheduled start in Wednesday's series finale moved back two
days to Friday, when the Rangers are out of town. Beltre, who is hitting
.303 against Hernandez since signing with Texas, was half-joking when he
made the comment. ... Texas manager Ron Washington said after the game
that OF Alex Rios has been playing with an injured thumb. "Some days it
doesn't bother him," Washington said. "Some days, it does."
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