LDN - Sports

Rangers win on Odor's walk-off homer

[August 31, 2016] ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas might not have needed Rougned Odor's heroics had he not committed a base running gaffe that could have cost the Texas Rangers the game.

Though having fought back to tie the game in the seventh, Texas might have had more had Odor not tried to stretch a base hit to right into a double with one out. Right fielder Shawn O'Malley threw him out easily.

But given a chance to atone Odor made good.

Odor's a walk-off, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth sent the Rangers to an 8-7 comeback victory over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday that transformed the game's temporary goat into instant hero.

"I was too aggressive on the bases," said Odor, who hit Edwin Diaz's 2-2 pitch over the center field wall that drove in Adrian Beltre for the Rangers' sixth walk-off win of the season. "It was not the right situation. I was trying to look for my pitch. The last pitch he threw me was a fastball down and away.

"I hit it really good."

Texas has won four consecutive games and remained 7 1/2 games up on Houston in the AL West. Seattle fell to 9 1/2 back.

Texas right-handed reliever Matt Bush, who was on the hook for the loss after giving up Seattle's go-ahead run on Robinson Cano's sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, instead earned the victory, improving to 6-2.

Diaz, who gave up a leadoff base hit to Beltre to start the ninth, fell to 0-3.

Beltre was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBIs while taking another step into the annals of baseball history with his 24th home run of the season. The two-run home run in the third to the deepest part of center field was the 437th of the Texas third baseman's career, moving him past Miguel Cabrera into 44th place all-time.

Next on the list is Hall of Famer Andre Dawson at 438.

Beltre's leadoff base hit set up Odor.

"That was a fastball high," Diaz said of the pitch Beltre hit to get onboard. "He went off the plate. I felt like he was looking for a slider so I went for my fastball up. He reached it pretty good. I don't know how."

Of Odor's smash: "When I saw him hit it, I was thinking that was a home run. I saw Leonys running and I just started walking to the dugout."

Jonathan Lucroy had three hits in four at-bats and an RBI, while Carlos Gomez snapped 0-for-18 skid with an RBI single.

Kyle Seager drove in two runs, one of five Seattle hitters with RBIs, including one in the Mariners' four-run fifth that chased Texas starter Cole Hamels.

"We were able to string some good at-bats together and get some runs on the board," said Seager. "That's a good team over there and they've got a lot of fight. It kinda went back and forth. Unfortunately, they got the last blow."

Neither pitcher figured into the decision.

Seattle left-hander James Paxton gave up four runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out four in five innings.

Hamels breezed through the first three innings in 27 pitches, but he was unable to hold on to a four-run lead, giving up six runs on six hits and four walks in the fourth and fifth innings combined. He gave up seven hits while striking out four over 41/3 innings.

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Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor (12) is mobbed by his teammates after hitting a game winning two run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Texas won 8-7. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Hamels lost control in the fourth, walking three hitters, including two with the bases loaded to cut the Texas lead in half. He threw 35 pitches in the inning.

After Hamels again walked the bases full in the fifth, Seager came up with a timely base hit through the right side that scored O'Malley and Cano, who initially stopped at third but rounded the bag when Gomez misplayed the ball in right.

"It was a night Cole was fighting himself," Texas manager Jeff Banister said. "He was getting too deep. He couldn't put that ball where he wanted to. Pitchers have those kind of night. This wasn't his night."

Texas left-handed reliever Alex Claudio worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Rangers scored two in the seventh off Seattle reliever Steve Cishek. Beltre and Lucroy both had run-scoring singles, though it might have been more had Odor not tried to stretch a base hit to right into a double with one out. Right fielder Shawn O'Malley threw him out easily.

Diaz walked two with two outs in the eighth but struck out Carlos Beltran to end the threat.

As Beltre crossed the with the tying run he gave Odor a little lecture on game situations after the base running mistake, emphasizing his point with a little slap to the side of the head.

"In that situation I don't have to be too aggressive," Odor said. "This is a long season. We talk about the little things. I appreciate that. I just want to say thank you to him. He's a great teammate."

NOTES: Seattle OF Nelson Cruz was out of the lineup due to a nerve issue in his hand. The injury was sustained on a checked swing Sunday. Mariners manager Scott Servais expects the slugger to return Wednesday. ... Seattle outrighted the contract of RHP Jarrett Grube to Triple-A Tacoma, opening a spot for RHP Evan Scribner, who is expected to be activated from the 60-day DL when rosters are expanded on Thursday. ... RHP Colby Lewis was set to make his second injury rehabilitation start with Double-A Frisco on Tuesday. He is scheduled to throw four innings or 65 pitches.

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