Julio Rodriguez's 2 HRs, 5 RBIs lead Mariners past Rangers
Julio Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs and Josh Rojas homered and had two RBIs to lead the Seattle Mariners to an 8-2 victory over the host Texas Rangers on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series.
It was the fourth multi-homer game of Rodriguez's career, while the five RBIs tied a career high. Victor Robles also had two hits, a stolen base and an RBI for Seattle (79-75). George Kirby (13-11) improved to 7-0 in nine career starts against Texas, allowing two runs on five hits over six innings while striking out four.
Adolis Garcia went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored, Nathaniel Lowe had a two-run single and Ezequiel Duran also had three hits, including a ground-rule double for Texas (73-81).
Jack Leiter (0-3), who entered at the start of the fourth inning in relief of Jacob deGrom, suffered the loss, allowing seven runs (six earned) on six hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out five.
deGrom, on a 60-pitch count, was making his second start of the season and first at Globe Life Field since April 28, 2023, after undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer. He allowed one run on three hits over three innings with one walk and five strikeouts.
Seattle took a 1-0 lead in the third when Rojas led off with his eighth home run into the bullpen in right-center.
Texas took a 2-1 lead in the fourth when Josh Smith led off with a single, advanced to third on a double by Garcia and scored on Lowe's single to center.
The Mariners took a 4-2 lead in the fifth on a three-run homer by Rodriguez, a 398-foot drive to left.
Seattle extended the lead to 6-2 in the seventh when Robles beat out an infield single then scored on Rodriguez's 18th homer, an opposite-field drive into the bleachers in right.
The Mariners added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth on sacrifice flies by Rojas and Robles to make it 8-2.
