Major League Baseball

Rangers hammer Mariners spot starter Ramirez, take series

Published Aug. 27, 2014 6:51 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Three months into his major league career, Rougned Odor became the youngest player to hit a big league grand slam since Jose Reyes in 2003.

Odor homered off Erasmo Ramirez in the third inning to back Colby Lewis, and the last-place Texas Rangers beat Seattle 12-4 Wednesday to take two of three from the Mariners.

"I feel really good right now," Odor said. "I don't look for my number. I just play the game day to day."

Odor, who has six home runs this season, got his first slam at 20 years, 205 days. Reyes was 20 years, 4 days when he homered for the New York Mets against Jarrod Washburn at Anaheim on June 15, 2003.

Lewis (9-11) allowed seven hits, struck out seven and walked one in his second complete game of the season and second in August. He had been 0-3 since pitching a five-hit shutout at the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 5.

"It's real easy to throw strikes when you get that many runs," Lewis said.

Texas, a big league-worst 52-80, won a series for only the third time since the All-Star break. The Rangers took two of three from the Yankees from July 28-30 and also at the Chicago White Sox from Aug. 4-6.

Ramirez (1-6), recalled from Triple-A Tacoma for the start, allowed 10 runs and nine hits in three-plus innings. Seattle, which began the day a half-game ahead of Detroit for the second American League wild-card spot, had been the only major league team not to allow 10 or more runs in a game this season.

"The day just got out of hand early, and we weren't able to chip away as quickly as they put them on the board," Mariners outfielder Dustin Ackley said.

Tomas Telis, who made his big league debut Monday, put the Rangers ahead in the second with a three-run double for his first major league runs batted in. He scored on Leonys Martin's single for a 4-0 lead; Martin is batting .440 (22 for 50) since Aug. 12.

After Mike Zunino homered in the bottom half, tying Seattle's record for catchers with 19 homers. Odor made it 8-1 in the third with his first career slam.

Elvis Andrus chased Ramirez with an RBI double and scored on Adrian Beltre's sacrifice fly off Dominic Leone, giving a Seattle opponent double-digit runs for the first time since a 12-2 win by St. Louis last Sept. 15, a game Ramirez also started. The 144-game streak allowing nine runs or fewer was the longest by an AL team since the Yankees went 194 games in 1975-76.

Martin hit a two-run homer in the sixth against Joe Beimel after Telis singled. Kendrys Morales hit a two-run double in the bottom half.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rangers: OF Alex Rios got the day off. Texas manager Ron Washington said Rios will continue to play with a bruised and swollen right thumb.

Mariners: OF Chris Denorfia, scratched on Tuesday because of a stiff neck, was much improved on Wednesday. He was available but did not play. ... C Jesus Sucre cleared concussion tests after taking a foul ball to the face maskTuesday but also didn't play.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Nick Tepesch (4-8) is slated to start Thursday at Houston, seeking to rebound after tying his season high for runs allowed with six in a 6-3 loss to Kansas City last weekend.

Mariners: Felix Hernandez will get his 12th start of the season on extra rest Friday in the series opener against Washington. Hernandez is 6-0 with a 1.83 ERA with extra rest this year.

GOOD START FOR TELIS

Telis is batting .375 (3 for 8) in his first two major league starts.

MCCLENDON TAKES OFF WEEKEND

Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon announced he will not be with the team Friday or Saturday, and possibly Sunday, in order to attend his daughter's wedding. Bench coach Trent Jewitt will take over. 

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball