Skip navigation
Site powered by
Latest news:
msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines: Violence widens ahead of Greek austerity vote

Rangers improve to 4-0 since Rogers' outburst

Texas tops Seattle; controversial ace starts Sunday while appeal pending

SEATTLE - Gary Matthews was asked if he could remember a team with more power than his Texas Rangers team.

“Yeah, last year’s team,” he said.

Matthews hit a two-out home run in the ninth inning Saturday, leading the Rangers over the Seattle Mariners 6-5 for their fourth straight victory.

Texas finished third in the AL with 227 home runs in 2004, but this year’s version may be even better.

The Rangers, who lead the majors with 133 home runs, also got a three-run shot from Michael Young in the second and a solo shot from David Dellucci — his third homer in three games — in the fourth.

“We’ve got a lot of spots in the order that can really hurt you, but we have our moments, too,” Rangers manager Buck Showalter said. “We’ve been doing a good job of taking advantage of what mistakes are made.”

Matthews hit a line drive shot on a 1-1 sinker from J.J. Putz into the first row of the right-field seats.

“That was as hard a ball as I’ve seen hit this year,” Showalter said.

Putz said it was a poor pitch.

“That was just a dumb pitch to throw at that point,” he said. “Nobody on or in scoring position and he’s looking to try and jerk one.”

Adrian Beltre had his first two-homer game since joining the Mariners, but struck out against rookie Kameron Loe (2-1) with the game tied and two men on to end the seventh. Beltre had departed before the media arrived in the clubhouse.

Slide show: The Week in Sports Pictures
QUALLS GIPSON
  Oct. 3 - 9
Images from the baseball playoffs, NFL, college football, and more.
“It was a two-seamer in,” Loe said of the strikeout pitch to Beltre. “I went after him with fastballs, trying to make him hit it on the ground. I ended up getting ahead of him with a chance to throw a dirty one.”

Francisco Cordero pitched the ninth for his 19th save in 23 opportunities.

Seattle matched a season high with its seventh straight loss.

Dellucci homered for a 5-4 lead, but Beltre answered with a solo shot into the left-field bullpen in the fifth. It was his first multihomer game since Sept. 21 for the Dodgers against San Diego.


advertisement
More news
Milwaukee Brewers v St. Louis Cardinals - Game Four
NBC Sports
Who made the better move?

SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?

Image: Detroit Tigers v Los Angeles Dodgers
Getty Images
DeMarco: Dodgers can become power

DeMarco: Plug in a well-heeled ownership group and negotiate one of those mega-bucks TV deals that are going around, and the Dodgers could become the west coast version of the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox.

Interactive
Rangers Spring Baseball
Maps to spring training sites
Your guide to sites in Arizona, Florida
Slideshow
Houston Astros
  Unbreakable records in baseball
A look at the most unbreakable records in baseball including Nolan Ryan's seven no-hitters.
Slideshow
Image: Albert Pujols
  The top tools of baseball
You hear a lot about the tools of baseball, but who are the best hitters, fielders and pitchers? We break it down.

more photos