SEATTLE — Julio Rodríguez hit a two-run homer, his second in three games, George Kirby allowed an unearned run over six innings and the Seattle Mariners held off the Texas Rangers 7-5 on Saturday.
Seattle won for the sixth time in seven games and won its ninth consecutive series at home dating to mid-April. The Mariners also increased their lead over the defending champion Rangers to 7 1/2 games in the AL West. It's the largest division lead for Seattle at any point since June 18, 2003, when it also had a 7 1/2-game advantage.
''They're a solid team, they were right there last year. You know they're playing well,'' Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. ''They have got a really good staff, and you have to play your best ball and execute when you're playing against them.''
Kirby (6-5) didn't give up a hit until Wyatt Langford's infield single with one out in the fourth inning. Kirby leaned heavily on a fastball at the top of the strike zone and scattered three hits over six innings. Marcus Semien had an RBI double in the fifth inning, but Kirby finished his outing by striking out the side in the sixth.
''I was spraying it a little bit and those two walks were annoying," Kirby said. "But I dialed it in when I needed to.''
Rodríguez hit a tying home run in the ninth inning Thursday night against the Chicago White Sox and his power has been on an uptick after a slow start. Rodríguez hit a 1-2 cutter from Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi (3-3) an estimated 412 feet for his seventh homer and a 3-0 lead in the third inning.
Dominic Canzone added a two-out RBI single later in the inning, and Cal Raleigh had an RBI single in the first inning as the Mariners knocked out the Texas starter after just three innings.
Josh Rojas had a solo homer in the seventh, his first long ball since April 28, and had a two-run single in the eighth that became critical because of a shaky ninth inning from Seattle's relievers.
