ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Lance Lynn allowed two runs over seven innings and Shawn Kelley earned the save hours after learning that two lumps removed from his throat last week were benign as the Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 5-3 on Tuesday night.
Lynn (6-3) gave up five singles and one walk and had a season-high 11 strikeouts and one walk in his 200th career start. Kelley, who was activated from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday, allowed a ninth-inning homer to Omar Narváez, who had three hits, in earning his third save of the season.
The loss continued a tailspin for Seattle, which is 10-26 since a 13-2 start.
Nomar Mazara had three hits, an RBI and scored one of two runs on a sacrifice fly after initially being ruled out at the plate before a successful Texas challenge. Joey Gallo hit a two-run home run, his 15th of the season, in the eighth inning.
Lynn had a shutout going into the seventh and, with the tying run at second base and one out, struck out Tim Beckham and J.P. Crawford to hold the lead.
The Rangers have won six of their last seven games to reach .500 at 23-23. Last season, they were at .500 once en route to finishing last in the American League West at 67-95.
Left-hander Tommy Milone (0-1) allowed two runs on three hits in five innings in his first major league start of the season. Milone’s contract was selected from Triple-A Tacoma earlier in the day.
Mazara scored on a fly to hit to centerfielder Mitch Haniger by Asdrúbal Cabrera in the fourth inning after a video review showed Mazara touched the plate with his left hand before being tagged by catcher Narváez.
The Mariners played without second baseman Dee Gordon and third baseman Ryon Healy, each placed on the 10-day injured list before the game. Gordon has a right wrist contusion, and Healy has lower back inflammation.
Rookie Shed Long, recalled from Tacoma, replaced Gordon and singled in the sixth inning for his first major league hit in his 11th big league at-bat.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: LF Willie Calhoun left the game after six innings with tightness in his left quad. … SS Elvis Andrus (right hamstring strain) began a rehab assignment Tuesday with Double-A Frisco, going 0 for 3 with one strikeout as the designated hitter.
UP NEXT
Mariners: In the series finale on Wednesday afternoon, LHP Marco Gonzales (5-3, 3.65 ERA) will seek to end a three-game losing streak during which he has a 5.93 ERA after compiling a 2.80 ERA in his first seven starts.
Rangers: RHP Adrian Sampson (1-3, 4.79 ERA) could make his second straight appearance when following an opener. He earned his first major league win last Friday, limiting the St. Louis Cardinals to one earned run in 5 1/3 innings.
