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Rangers try to secure eighth straight win vs. Mariners

Jul 14, 2011 - 2:38 PM (Sports Network) - The Texas Rangers are playing hotter than the Arlington sun and look to maintain their slim lead atop the American League West standings when they commence a four-game series against the division-foe Seattle Mariners tonight from Safeco Field.

Texas is well rested after the All-Star break and entered the mid-season point having won seven in a row. The seven wins before the All-Star Game is a franchise best, eclipsing four consecutive victories set during the 1990, 1991 and 1993 campaigns. The Rangers, who lead the AL West by a game ahead of the idle LA Angels, went 8-2 on a 10-game homestand and are coming off back-to- back sweeps of Baltimore and Oakland.

In Sunday's 2-0 victory over the Athletics, All-Star third basemen Adrian Beltre belted a two-run homer in the sixth inning to account for the scoring and starting pitcher Matt Harrison evened his mark at 7-7 with 7 2/3 shutout innings and seven strikeouts. Mark Lowe got the final out of the eighth inning and Neftali Feliz set Oakland down in the ninth for his 18th save.

"We just have to go out there after the break and continue to play good baseball like we know we can," said Rangers manager Ron Washington.

The Rangers improved to an AL-best 31-18 at home and has won seven straight games at the Ballpark in Arlington. Beltre and fellow All-Star Josh Hamilton both went 1-for-2 in a 5-1 loss to the National League Tuesday night. Michael Young struck out in his only plate appearance, while C.J. Wilson allowed a three-run homer to Prince Fielder and Alexi Ogando pitched two-thirds of an inning for the AL.

Texas will also visit the Angels on this seven-game road trip and is 20-23 as the guest this season. Derek Holland will open the second half of the season on the hill tonight and is 7-4 with a 4.68 ERA in 18 starts. He ended a personal two-game slide the last time out with a shutout performance versus Oakland last Thursday, as he scattered four hits and fanned seven batters in a 6-0 win. Holland will face the Mariners for the second time this season and beat them in his 2011 debut on April 4, when he allowed three runs in six innings of a 6-4 victory.

Holland, a left-hander, is 3-1 with a 3.81 ERA in seven career games (3 starts) against Seattle.

The Mariners limped into the break with five straight losses and completed a seven-game road trip with a 2-5 mark. They dropped a 4-2 decision on Sunday to the Angels in the finale of a four-game series, as All-Star pitcher Felix Hernandez saw his seven innings of two-run ball go to waste. Mark Trumbo cracked a two-run homer off of King Felix in the fourth inning.

"I thought Felix was good, but that one pitch got him," said Mariners manager Eric Wedge. "The two-out knocks hurt us."

David Pauley gave up the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to absorb the loss, while Adam Kennedy drove in two runs and Ichiro Suzuki finished 0-for-4 in defeat. Hernandez did not pitch in the All-Star Game and rookie hurler Michael Pineda struck out two over one inning. M's relief pitcher Brandon League allowed a run and two hits in an inning of work.

After the Mariners host Texas they will hit the road for nine games against the Blue Jays, Red Sox and Yankees.

Jason Vargas draws the start for Seattle tonight and he's 6-6 with a 3.49 ERA through 18 starts. He has alternated wins and losses over his previous eight decisions and suffered a hard-luck loss in last Wednesday's 2-0 setback at Oakland. He allowed two runs and five hits in eight innings with six K's and one walk. Vargas was coming off a six-hit shutout of San Diego on July 1.

Vargas, who also tossed a shutout versus Philadelphia on June 19 and against Tampa Bay on June 3, is 5-5 in 12 home starts this season and defeated Texas on May 5 at Safeco Field. In the 3-1 victory, the lefty yielded one run in 7 2/3 innings and is 2-3 with a 4.23 ERA in nine career games (7 starts) in this series.

Texas swept Seattle in three games from April 4-6 in Arlington, but the Mariners returned the favor by taking two of three matchups May 3-5 in the Emerald City.