Thursday, May. 08, 2008

Recap: Seattle vs. Texas

By Sports Network

Ramon Vazquez finished 4-for-5 and Ian Kinsler hit a two-run homer, as the Texas Rangers blanked the Seattle Mariners, 5-0, in the finale of a four-game series from Safeco Field.

Kason Gabbard, activated from the 15-day disabled list before the game, gave up two hits with four walks and one strikeout over 3 2/3 scoreless innings before leaving with bruised legs sustained in a benches-clearing fracas.

Franklyn German (1-0) allowed one hit and struck out three in 1 2/3 innings for Texas, which has won three straight and seven of its last nine outings.

Felix Hernandez (2-3) gave up four runs on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks over five innings for the struggling Mariners, losers of three straight and eight of their last nine.

Jose Lopez doubled for Seattle, which was limited to four hits and extended its scoreless streak to 22 innings.

Texas raced out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. A single by Vazquez and walks to Josh Hamilton and Milton Bradley loaded the bases for David Murphy, who put Texas on the board with a sacrifice fly. Boggs then ripped a run- scoring single to right field.

The Rangers then added two more runs in the second, when Kinsler clubbed his third home run of the season.

In the fourth, frustrations boiled over for Richie Sexson and the Mariners. With two outs in the inning, Gabbard came up and in with a fastball that caused Sexson to charge the mound and fling his helmet at the Texas hurler. Both benches cleared, though, no punches were thrown. Hernandez had drilled Kinsler with a fastball in the previous frame.

Sexson was the only player to be ejected from the fracas and was replaced by Miguel Cairo. Gabbard remained in the game and issued a walk to Cairo. Yuniesky Betancourt then reached on an infield single and both runners moved into scoring position on Vazquez's throwing error.

Gabbard was then taken out of the game due to bruised legs. German took over on the mound and induced an inning-ending ground out from Wladimir Balentien.

The Rangers added a run in the sixth on Vazquez's RBI single.

After Lopez doubled to leadoff the bottom of the sixth, the Rangers pitchers retired the next 11 batters before Cairo's infield single in the ninth.

Game Notes