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 Hamels survived a line drive to the shoulder and a shaky seventh
inning while pitching the Rangers to a 9-6 win over the Seattle
Mariners on Tuesday night. Texas (73-64) moved to within a game of
division-leading Houston for the first time since April 18.
"It'll feel good when we wake up in the morning," manager Jeff
Banister said, "but we've still got a ways to go."
What might not feel so good is the spot where a screaming line drive
off the bat of Seattle's Jesus Sucre hit Hamels in Tuesday's third
inning. The comebacker initially looked like it hit Hamels on the
left side of his jaw, but the veteran lefty insisted afterward that
he took the liner to his shoulder.
"I've been hit a few times; it's the nature of the game," said
Hamels, who stayed in the game and pitched seven strong innings to
earn his third win since being traded from Philadelphia. "Luckily
enough, (Sucre's ball) hit the only muscle I have on me. I'm sure
I'll have a nice bruise."
Hamels (3-1) allowed four runs on eight hits in seven innings, with
four of the hits and three of the runs coming in his final inning.
The Rangers (73-64) matched their season high for home runs in a
game while pulling within a game of Houston, which lost 4-0 to the
Oakland A's.
Rangers right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, first baseman Mitch Moreland,
second baseman Rougned Odor and left fielder Joey Gallo all went
deep on a night when Seattle starter Taijuan Walker couldn't get an
out past the third inning. Walker (10-8) gave up three of the homers
as Texas jumped out to a 6-1 lead.
"He threw a clunker," Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said. "He
wasn't very good."
Seattle mounted a comeback with a four-run seventh, and then second
baseman Robinson Cano took reliever Jake Diekman deep for a
419-foot, two-run homer to pull the Mariners within 8-6 in the
eighth. It was Cano's 15th home run of the season, surpassing his
total from last season.
Despite the rally, the Mariners (66-73) couldn't prevent Hamels from
earning his third win as a Ranger and his ninth of the season.
Closer Shawn Tolleson pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his 31st
save of the season.
"We battled back, but that's awfully hard," McClendon said. "...
Just a little bit too much to overcome."
The Rangers survived a major scare in the bottom of the third
inning, when Sucre sent a screaming liner back to the mound. The
ball glanced off Hamels' glove before striking him on the upper part
of his shoulder, knocking the big left-hander to the ground.
Hamels was able to get up and offer a chuckle and a shake of the
head. A team trainer came rushing out of the dugout as Hamels was
seen telling third baseman Adrian Beltre, "I'm fine."
After throwing a few warmup pitches, Hamels was able to stay in the
game.
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"As he was going down, it looked like he'd lost his balance,"
Banister said afterward. "He let us know pretty quickly that he was
OK."
Home runs by Moreland, Choo and Odor helped the Rangers jump out to
a 6-1 lead while chasing Walker.
Moreland hit a 2-0 pitch from Walker into the seats in right-center
field for a second-inning solo homer, then Choo added a three-run
shot in the third for a 4-0 lead. Choo's one-out blast was his 17th
home run of the season.
Seattle got a run back in the bottom of the third after Sucre's
single off Hamels loaded the bases with no outs. Hamels got a
strikeout before Seattle third baseman Kyle Seager cut the deficit
to 4-1 with an RBI groundout.
Odor then took Walker deep on a two-run shot in the top of the
fourth, putting the Rangers ahead 6-1 while ending the Seattle
starter's night. Walker allowed six runs -- five earned -- on six
hits over three-plus innings. The three home runs allowed matched a
career high for the 23-year-old rookie.
"Today had nothing to do with innings," McClendon said after
Walker's season total for innings reached a career-high 162 2/3. "It
was a bad outing."
NOTES: INF Jurickson Profar won't play for the Rangers this season,
multiple media outlets reported. Profar was on a rehab assignment
but continued to struggle with his surgically repaired right
shoulder. ... Seattle called up OF James Jones, 1B Jesus Montero, C
Steven Baron and RHP J.C. Ramirez from Triple-A Tacoma. Ramirez made
his Mariners debut while throwing two scoreless innings Tuesday
night. The most notable omission was C Mike Zunino, a three-year
starter who will spend the rest of the season working on his swing
in preparation for the Arizona instructional league. ... The
Mariners transferred LHP Charlie Furbush (biceps) from the 15- to
the 60-day disabled list. ... Rangers CF Delino DeShields (sprained
knee) was not in the lineup. ... Seattle's Wednesday starter is
still officially listed as TBA, but manager Lloyd McClendon
confirmed that LHP Vidal Nuno would make the start. LHP Martin Perez
will start for the Rangers. ... The Mariners will open the 2016
season at Texas on April 4.
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