ARLINGTON, Texas _ The trade deadline is behind him but Mike Minor is still struggling.
The Texas Rangers' left-hander, who was one of the top pitchers in the league during an All-Star first half, struggled for the fifth consecutive start Wednesday night.
But he got a lift from his offense, as the Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners, 9-7, to split the two-game series at Globe Life Park.
Minor earned the win despite only going five innings to improve to 9-6. It's his first win since June 26. But he didn't pitch well again, despite having the MLB trade deadline behind him.
The deadline, which ended at 3 p.m. Wednesday, was likely part of the problem for Minor, who had been the subject of trade rumors for weeks. Although he downplayed the effect, it's fair to wonder if he has been distracted. The Rangers even pushed him back a day to hopefully prevent him from being distracted on the mound.
That shouldn't have been an issue with the deadline in the rear-view mirror. But Minor struggled with his control, including three walks and a hit batter. Two of the four free passes scored in a three-run fourth that gave Seattle a 5-3 lead. Mallex Smith's RBI single was a soft bouncer just over the reach of Minor's glove.
Austin Nola's solo homer in the second tied it at 2, but Shin-Soo Choo regained Texas' lead with a solo homer in the bottom of the inning.
Texas scored three in the fifth and three in the seventh, however, to build a 9-5 lead. Willie Calhoun's three-run homer in the fifth gave the Rangers a 6-5 lead. In the seventh, Logan Forsythe's two-run single and Jeff Mathis' single and a fielding error led to another run and a 9-5 lead in the seventh.
Danny Santana and Hunter Pence were both 3 for 5.
