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Harrison strong on mound, Rangers rout M's

Aug 9, 2011 - 6:15 AM Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - Matt Harrison threw seven strong innings and the Rangers backed him with 15 hits, as Texas downed Seattle, 9-2, in the opener of a three-game series.

Harrison (10-8) gave up two runs on five hits in seven innings to grab the victory, striking out six without a walk. His 10 wins are a career-best.

Texas became the first team in 2011 to have five different pitchers reach the 10-win mark. It's the first time the Rangers have had five different starters with at least 10 victories (no relief wins), as Harrison joined Alexi Ogando, C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis and Derek Holland.

"Ten wins is big for guys," Harrison said. "Normally the guys in rotations, sometimes you have injuries, sometimes they make changes. So far we've been consistent. I'm glad I'm part of the 10-win club. Hopefully we'll keep it going."

Nelson Cruz went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI for the AL West leaders, who won for the fourth time in five games. Yorvit Torrealba and Mitch Moreland also had three hits for the Rangers, who quickly took control against Seattle starter Charlie Furbush.

Furbush (2-4) allowed seven runs -- six earned -- on eight hits and four walks in four-plus innings.

He gave up a leadoff home run to Cruz in the second inning, throwing a slider down the middle of the plate that the Rangers slugger crushed to left-center field. That snapped an 0-for-15 drought for Cruz.

An Adam Kennedy fielding error then allowed Mike Napoli to reach base, and he scored later in the inning on a single by Moreland.

Jack Wilson's two-run double in the third pulled Seattle even, but Texas chased Furbush in the middle innings.

In the fourth, a walk and two singles loaded the bases before David Murphy and Ian Kinsler hit consecutive run-scoring fielder's choice grounders.

An inning later, two walks and a base hit filled the bases for another rally and signaled the end of Furbush's day. Jamey Wright entered and couldn't get the Mariners out of the jam.

Napoli and Torrealba hit back-to-back RBI singles to left, and Wright walked Moreland to force in another run, making it a 7-2 game.

Cruz hit an RBI double in the sixth and scored on Napoli's single, increasing Texas' lead to seven and allowing the Rangers to cruise to the victory.

"We're playing to win everyday, but it comes down to executing," Mariners first baseman Mike Carp said. "We played kind of sloppy tonight."

Game Notes

Texas is 9-2 against Seattle this season...The Rangers went 7-for-18 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base...Furbush made his second start for the Mariners, who acquired him from Detroit in July...The Mariners placed shortstop Brendan Ryan on the 15-day disabled list Monday with a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder. Ryan suffered the injury when he collided with Kennedy last week, and the move is retroactive to August 4...The Mariners recalled Luis Rodriguez from Triple-A Tacoma to take Ryan's roster spot.