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Rangers solidify lead in AL West with win over M's

Sep 18, 2011 - 3:01 AM Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Josh Hamilton homered and knocked in three runs as the Rangers edged the Mariners, 7-6, in the second game of a three-game set.

Elvis Andrus and Adrian Beltre also hit home runs as Texas won for the fifth time in six games.

Colby Lewis (13-10) allowed six runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out seven in 5 2/3 innings for the win.

Neftali Feliz tossed a perfect ninth to earn his 27th save of the year.

The Rangers now hold a 4 1/2 games lead over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for first place in the AL West. The Angels lost 6-2 to the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday.

Ichiro Suzuki went 2-for-4 with two RBI. The two RBI gave him 601 for his career, making him the fifth player in Mariners' history to accomplish that feat.

Anthony Vasquez (1-4) allowed five runs on seven hits and a walk through three-plus innings in Seattle's fifth loss in seven games.

"You just got to tip your hat I guess. You look back and wish you made a couple different pitches, but they just put some runs on the board fast." Vasquez said about his outing.

Mike Napoli led off the top of the second with a double and crossed the plate three batters later on Craig Gentry's base hit to left to give the Rangers a one-run lead.

But the Mariners answered in the home half of the inning with four runs. Adam Kennedy and Brendan Ryan singled before Michael Saunders walked to load the bases with two outs. Suzuki then sent a base hit up the middle to bring home Kennedy and Ryan. Kyle Seager stepped up next and pulled a two-run double into the right-field corner.

The lead was shortlived, however, as Andrus and Hamilton hit back-to-back home runs to start the third. Two batters later, Beltre also went deep to make it a 4-4 game.

"That was awesome, got us right back in the game. We fell down and the next inning we came up and put three runs up which was huge," Napoli said about the third inning.

Vasquez walked David Murphy to lead off the fourth and was replaced by Jeff Gray on the mound.

After a Gentry groundout, Ian Kinsler walked and Andrus singled to load the bases. Hamilton's two-run single and Michael Young's sacrifice fly gave the Rangers a 7-4 lead.

Mike Carp brought the Mariners within a run in the fifth with a two-run shot over the wall in right-center field. Seager singled prior to Carp's 10th homer of the year.

Trayvon Robinson doubled with two outs in the sixth to knock Lewis out of the game. Darren Oliver came on next and induced a grounder back to the mound by Saunders to end the threat.

Game Notes

Andrus extended his hit streak to 11 games...Feliz has worked 14 scoreless innings in 15 career outings against Seattle. He has converted all seven save opportunities...Vasquez has now lost three straight starts...Texas leads the season series 11-4.