Dunning, Semien Lift Rangers Past Mariners 4-3 to Win Series

SEATTLE (AP) — Marcus Semien homered and drove in a pair of runs, Dane Dunning allowed only two runs in six strong innings and the Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Wednesday.

Texas won its first series in Seattle in nearly four years, taking two of three from the Mariners. The last time the Rangers won a series in the Pacific Northwest was May 27-29, 2019.

The Rangers did it on the strength of their pitching. Jon Gray allowed one run over seven innings in a 2-1 victory in the series opener and Dunning posted a second consecutive solid performance since moving back into the Rangers' rotation.

Dunning (3-0) scattered six hits, struck out five and avoided any major trouble. Dunning threw five shutout innings in his first start for the Rangers last week against the Angels.

Semien’s solo home run led off the third inning, when the Rangers got to Seattle ace Luis Castillo. Nathaniel Lowe and Jonah Heim both had RBI doubles later in the inning, Heim’s coming with two outs. Castillo (2-1) needed 37 pitches to get out of the inning and was done after five innings. He struck out nine and allowed eight hits.

Semien added an RBI single off reliever Matt Brash in the sixth inning.

Seattle’s J.P. Crawford scored on an error in the first inning and had an RBI single in the fifth. Jarred Kelenic hit a two-out RBI triple in the eighth off reliever Brock Burke to pull the Mariners within 4-3. Jonathan Hernández entered and walked Eugenio Suárez but struck out Cal Raleigh on a 3-2 pitch to end a nine-pitch at-bat.

Will Smith pitched the ninth for his sixth save.

The Mariners have scored three runs or fewer in seven of the past 13 games.

LINEUP CHANGE

Trying to spark Seattle’s offense led manager Scott Servais to drop struggling center fielder Julio Rodríguez from first to sixth in the batting order. Rodríguez entered the day with just two hits in his past 29 at-bats over the last week.

Rodríguez lined out to left field, singled, hit a fly ball to the warning track and struck out in his four times at the plate.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: SS Corey Seager is headed to Double-A Frisco to begin a rehab assignment Thursday. He is likely to rejoin the Rangers when they get home from their current road trip.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Texas will open a four-game series in Oakland on Thursday with RHP Nathan Eovaldi (3-2, 3.22) on the mound. Eovaldi is coming off consecutive scoreless outings, throwing a complete-game shutout of the Yankees on April 29 and throwing eight scoreless against the Angels in his last start.

Mariners: After a travel day, Seattle opens a nine-game road trip in Detroit on Friday. LHP Marco Gonzales (2-0, 4.70) will start the opener against the Tigers.