SEATTLE — Clean, efficient and without drama.
It was the type of victory expected for a team that has shown so much dominance over the other in past meetings.
And the fact that the Seattle Mariners’ 4-1 victory over the Texas Rangers took only 2 hours and 22 minutes on a pleasant Fourth of July afternoon at T-Mobile Park, well, that was just a little extra ice cream on the postgame apple pie.
Chris Flexen delivered his usual strong start when pitching in Seattle and Luis Torrens and Shed Long Jr. provided all the offense in a game that never really felt as close as the score indicated.
It was the Mariners’ third consecutive three-game series victory, which is a reason why they are now 45-40 on the season.
Working on four days rest for the first time this season, Flexen pitched six solid innings, allowing one run on four hits with no walks and five strikeouts to improve to 7-3 on the season and lower his ERA to 3.80.
Torrens gave Seattle a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning. With one out and runners on first and second, Torrens stayed on a 96-mph fastball from Rangers starter Mike Foltynewicz, sending a long drive over the wall in right field for a three-run homer.
While Torrens’ homer drove in three runs, Long’s homer an inning later will steal all the highlights. The diminutive utility player flashed his unexpected power, attacking a 91-mph fastball from Foltynewicz, unleashing a vicious swing and sending a rocket to right field that bounced off the glass windows of the old Hit It Here Cafe in the second deck.
Meanwhile the bullpen trio of Drew Steckenrider, Paul Sewald and Kendall Graveman each worked scoreless innings to preserve the lead. Steckenrider and Sewald each got a “hold,” while Graveman picked up his eighth save of the season.
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