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Wells drive in game-winner as M's edge Rangers

Aug 11, 2011 - 5:30 AM Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - Casper Wells knocked in the eventual winning run with an RBI single in the top of the seventh inning to send the Seattle Mariners to a 4-3 win over the Texas Rangers in the finale of a three-game series.

Mike Carp cracked a two-run home run and Franklin Gutierrez added a pair of hits for the Mariners, who snapped a three-game skid.

Jason Vargas (7-10) gave up three runs on six hits while walking four and fanning three over seven innings to snap a six-game winless stretch. Brandon League worked around a leadoff base hit in the ninth to nail down his 27th save of the season.

Ian Kinsler smacked a two-run homer and Josh Hamilton also went deep for the Rangers, who had their three-game winning streak ended. They remained 1 1/2 games ahead of the Angels for first place in the AL West.

Koji Uehara (1-2) was tagged with the loss after giving up a run on three hits in one inning of work.

In the seventh, Carp and Gutierrez singled to put runners on first and second with one out. Wells followed with a single off the glove of third baseman Michael Young and into left field to give the Mariners their 4-3 lead. Uehara recovered to fan Kyle Seager and induce a groundout from Trayvon Robinson to limit the damage.

"The Mariners put together an inning," Kinsler said. "That's a big league team over there. They're very capable of winning game just like we are. Tonight it just didn't go our way."

The Rangers had a shot to tie the game in the ninth against League. Yorvit Torrealba ripped a base hit to left and was removed for pinch-runner Endy Chavez. Chavez advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Mitch Moreland to put the tying run in scoring position. League got David Murphy to loft a fly ball to center, and got Kinsler to ground weakly to third to end the game.

Seattle opened the scoring in the second inning. Gutierrez slapped a single, Wells walked and Seager singled to center to load the bases with one out. Robinson tapped a ball in front of the plate. Rangers starter Derek Holland charged, but couldn't get the ball out of his glove, as Gutierrez raced home. Ichiro Suzuki followed and cued a ball back to Holland, who took the force out at home. Holland then fanned Luis Rodriguez to limit the damage to only one run.

The Mariners extended their lead in the third. Dustin Ackley led off the inning by poking an infield single to shortstop and Carp followed by belting a letter-high fastball from Holland onto the grass hill beyond the center field wall.

Texas pulled a run back in the fourth on Hamilton's 14th long ball of the season. The Rangers were unable to capitalize further however, as Vargas induced a 5-4-3 double play from Nelson Cruz and then got Mike Napoli to ground out to end the inning.

Torrealba led off the Rangers' fifth with an infield single, and after Moreland flew out and Murphy popped out, Kinsler smacked his 18th home run of the season to tie the game.

Game Notes

Texas leads the season series, 10-3 count...Despite the loss, the Rangers own an American League best 39-23 record at home this season...Prior to Wednesday's game, the Mariners activated pitcher Shawn Kelley from the 60-day disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Tacoma...Carp extended his hitting streak to 11 games...Seattle recorded its first win against the Rangers since May 5, snapping a six-game skid...Vargas threw a season-high 121 pitches...Holland gave up three runs -- two earned -- over six innings. He fanned seven and walked five...Carp's home run was only the second Holland has allowed to a left-handed hitter this season...It was Hamilton's first home run since July 19 against the Angels...Kinsler homered for the second consecutive game.