Joc Pederson set the tone early, launching two home runs in the first two innings to lead the Texas Rangers to a 7-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Monday. The win stretched the Rangers’ lead in the AL West to 2.5 games.
Pederson took Mariners starter George Kirby deep in the first and second innings, building a 4-1 lead. Kirby, who has been the subject of trade rumors, labored through four innings, allowing seven runs—the most he has surrendered this season—on seven hits with no walks. He struck out three, tying a season low. When asked if the trade speculation was a distraction, Kirby shrugged it off. “I don’t have Twitter, so I don’t see it,” he told the Seattle Times’ Adam Jude.
The Rangers kept the power display going in the third. Ezequiel Duran and Jake Burger each went deep, pushing the lead to 7-2. Pederson now has 19 homers on the season, tied with Burger for the team lead. After missing 66 games last year with a fractured right hand, the 13-year veteran is on pace for his third 20-homer season in five years.
On the mound, Kumar Rocker delivered a strong outing. He held the Mariners to two runs and four hits over 6 2/3 innings, striking out seven. Since a rough start against the Houston Astros on July 11, Rocker has allowed just two total runs in his last two starts.
The Mariners managed sacrifice flies from P. Crawford, but it wasn’t enough. Seattle now sits two games back of the third American League wild-card spot, tangled in a race with the Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros, and Baltimore Orioles. Losing three of four to the team they are chasing makes the path steeper. Up next, the Mariners visit the Los Angeles Dodgers, while the Rangers host the Tampa Bay Rays for a three-game set.
