SEATTLE _ Starter Felix Hernandez allowed five runs and later closer Edwin Diaz allowed four runs. It wasn't a good night for the Seattle Mariners, in a 9-5 loss at Safeco Field to visiting Texas.
The first inning wasn't the problem this time for Hernandez and the Mariners. It wasn't their biggest problem, anyway.
Hernandez was, at worst, adequate through five innings Tuesday night against the Rangers, helping the Mariners build a two-run lead in their quest for a fifth straight victory.
He couldn't finish off his solid start, and the Mariners couldn't complete a late rally in the loss.
The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Mariners (33-21), who missed out on a chance to tie the Houston Astros atop the AL West standings.
Trailing 5-4, the Mariners loaded the bases with one out in the eighth inning and tied it on Jean Segura's RBI groundout, scoring Ben Gamel from third. The Mariners stranded two runners in scoring position when Denard Span, in his second game with Seattle, grounded out on a nice stop by Texas first baseman Ronald Guzman.
Mariners closer Edwin Diaz, called on to pitch the ninth inning with the score tied 5-5, gave up two singles and a walk to load the bases. Rougned Odor then hit an opposite-field double to left, scoring all three runners to give the Rangers an 8-5 lead, sending many of the 13,259 fans heading for the exits.
Guzman added an RBI single off the first pitch from reliever Chasen Bradford to make it 9-5.
Texas closer Keone Kela sent down the Mariners in order in the bottom of the ninth.
The sixth inning was a wild one.
In succession, Hernandez allowed a double, a single and a walk to start the top of the sixth, ending his night with the bases loaded and no outs.
What happened over the next two pitches was out of Hernandez's control: James Pazos' first pitch in relief was a wild one, scoring one run for Texas. The next pitch, which induced a swing and miss by Odor, got past Mike Zunino, allowing the tying run to come in.
Guzman then came through with an RBI single off Pazos, giving the Rangers a 5-4 lead.
All five runs were charged to Hernandez, who in six May starts has a 6.68 earned-run average.
Hernandez has struggled _ and struggled mightily _ in first innings this season. His 12.27 earned-run average in the first inning coming into Tuesday was the worst among qualified starters in the majors. He had given up at least one first-inning run in six of his first 11 starts, including a combined seven first-inning runs in his last two starts.
In the first inning Tuesday, he grooved a 2-0 fastball to Shin-Soo Choo, who belted the pitch into the second row in center field for a home run. Hernandez escaped further damage in the first, and the Mariners sent eight batters to the plate in the bottom of the first to take a 3-1 lead.
Guzman's RBI single in the second inning off Hernandez cut the Mariners' lead to 3-2.
Nelson Cruz hit a line-drive home run to left field, his ninth of the season, off Rangers' starter Austin Bibens-Dirkx in the third inning to make it 4-2.
Hernandez was solid over his next three innings, and his fifth-inning strikeout of Choo _ on a 90-mph fastball on the inside corner _ was the 2,397th of his career, moving him past Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax and into a tie (with Kevin Brown) for 44th on baseball's all-time strikeout list.
Span, acquired Friday in a trade with Tampa Bay, had his first hit, a double, for the Mariners in the first inning. He scored on Mitch Haniger's two-run double.
Segura, back in the lineup after he passed concussion protocols, had three hits for the Mariners, who will send ace James Paxton to the mound Wednesday night against the Rangers.
