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Byrd, Teagarden star as Rangers down Mariners

Sep 10, 2008 - 6:44 AM By Paul Lowenberg PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Marlon Byrd and rookie catcher Taylor Teagarden drove in three runs apiece as the Texas Rangers defeated the Seattle Mariners, 7-3, on Tuesday.

Righthander Vicente Padilla (13-7), who came off the disabled list before the game, continued to dominate the Mariners at Safeco Field, lowering his ERA to 0.48 in three starts, allowing one earned run in 18 2/3 innings.

The righthander, who had been on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring, yielded one unearned run and six hits with a walk and five strikeouts to earn his first victory since July 25.

"Vicente was good for not having pitched in almost three weeks," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "He wasn't erratic and threw good pitches when he needed to."

Mariners starter Felix Hernandez (9-10), who suffered a 1-0 setback to the Rangers six days ago, struggled from the get-go in this contest, surrendering four runs over the first two innings.

The 22-year-old righthander lasted 4 1/3 innings - his shortest outing of the year - surrendering six runs and six hits with four walks, hitting three batters and throwing a wild pitch.

"It was a horrible night for me," Hernandez said. "I hit three batters; I've never been like this. I tried every pitch. I've just (have to) forget about it and get ready for the next one."

The loss also dropped Hernandez's record to 0-4 in five starts against the Rangers this year.

"He didn't have any command," Mariners manager Jim Riggleman said. "They got him today. It just wasn't his day."

Trailing, 4-1, Hernandez departed with runners at first and third in the fifth. After reliever Randy Messenger struck out rookie Chris Davis, Teagarden doubled off the top of the center-field wall to drive in two more runs and extend the Texas lead to 6-1.

Teagarden, the Rangers' third-round pick in the 2005 draft who also starred at the University of Texas, is hitting .350 and has nine RBI through his first six major league games - a stark contrast to his minor league struggles earlier in the year. In two minor league stops and 73 games, he was hitting .211 with nine homers and 22 RBI.



"I got pretty comfortable the first few games," Teagarden said. "Obviously, the minor leagues have not been as productive for me offensively. I just tried to relax when I come up here and take advantage of being in the nine-hole."



Washington said he's not worried about Teagarden's offense.



"I think Taylor Teagarden has been doing a good job," Washington said. "He's been in-synch with the guys he's been catching. What he hits is not important to me. It's how he gets the pitchers through innings that's important to me."

Texas scored twice in the first on Byrd's double off the left field fence when the ball got by a leaping Raul Ibanez. After the Mariners got one run back in the first on Jose Lopez's run-scoring groundout, Texas added two more runs in the second on RBI singles by Teagarden and Michael Young to take a 4-1 advantage.

Byrd drove in the Rangers' final run of the contest in the eighth with a run-scoring single.

Yuniesky Betancourt doubled in one run and Bryan LaHair singled in another as the Mariners scored twice in the eighth to account for the final score.