ARLINGTON, Texas _ Mariners manager Scott Servais made it clear about his team's chances over the next month where they play 21 of 27 games away from Safeco Field.
"You have to hit to win on the road," he said.
This isn't a new development for a team that's had to work around starting pitching injuries and inconsistency all season. But after a stretch in July where the Mariners' lineup looked inconsistent, things needed to change.
One of the main contributors needed to do so, delivered on Monday night at Globe Life Park.
Robinson Cano slammed a two-run single over the head of right fielder Shin Soo-Choo to break a 4-4 tie and provide the difference in the Mariners' 6-4 win over the Rangers.
Edwin Diaz worked a drama free, 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to notch his 20th save.
The Mariners improved to 54-53. It's just the second time they've been above .500 this season.
The Mariners got a mediocre start from Felix Hernandez, who pitched 5 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on six hits with three walks, five strikeouts, two hit by pitches and two homers allowed.
Hernandez was shaky early. He issued a four-pitch walk to Shin-Shoo Choo to start the game. Two batters later, he grooved a 2-2 sinker that was redirected off the bat of Rougned Odor at a high rate of speed, eventually crashing into the seats in the upper deck of right field. It was Odor's third homer in his last three plate appearances and his 23rd homer of the season.
The Rangers tacked on another two runs in the second inning to make it 4-0 on a leadoff homer from Carlos Gomez and a two-out RBI single from Elvis Andrus.
After three innings of not doing much against Rangers starter Cole Hamels, the Mariners got to him in the fourth.
Back-to-back doubles from Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager started the rally. Danny Valencia drove home Cruz with a single to let, while Seager scored from second when the ball rolled under left fielder Drew Robinson's legs. Valencia raced all the way to third and later scored on Leonys Martin's fielder's choice.
Seattle might have been able to tie the game in the inning had Martin not been picked off on what he thought, and what looked to be, a balk from Hamels on his pickoff throw to first. Carlos Ruiz's double to left likely would've scored Martin with two outs. Instead, the Mariners still trailed 4-3 when Ben Gamel grounded out to end the inning.
But Martin made up for the miscue in the sixth inning. With two outs and Guillermo Heredia on second having reached on a throwing error by Beltre, Martin hammered an RBI triple to the deepest part of the park, tying the game at 4.
