Texas Rangers Come Up Short In 6-2 Loss To Mariners
SEATTLE (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Daniel Vogelbach provided a preview of what was to come Monday when he launched a batting practice home run into the upper deck in right field at the baseball park in Seattle.
Batting practice is one thing. Doing it in a game is a rare accomplishment at T-Mobile Park, which is a 20-year-old stadium.
"He did it in BP, third deck, and then followed it up in the game," Mariners teammate Mallex Smith said. "He's not a 5 o'clock hitter."
Vogelbach's mammoth two-run homer in the seventh inning was the highlight of a 6-2 win over the Texas Rangers that snapped Seattle's six-game losing streak.
Kyle Seager drove in his first run of the season and Smith stole four bases, including three in the eighth — capped by his second career steal of home. Seattle also got solid pitching from Tommy Milone as the Mariners rebounded after being swept by Texas and Oakland on the road.
But what everyone wanted to talk about was Vogelbach's towering homer off reliever Jose Leclerc that found a rare landing spot, one of the few home runs to reach that part of the stadium.
Everyone except Vogelbach.
"It was just a curveball out over the plate and I was able to ride it out and keep it fair. I was just happy I could drive two runs in," he said.
According to team records through the 2015 season, only two homers had reached that level of the stadium and it was uncertain if any had in the past four seasons. It was Vogelbach's 15th homer of the season and while it was close to being a foul ball, the home run call stood following a replay review.
"For the ball to go over the top of the foul pole like that, that's some kind of special power," Seattle manager Scott Servais said.
Seager, activated off the 60-day injured list last weekend, blooped a single to score Smith in the third when Seattle scored a pair. Smith came through an inning later with a sharp single to score J.P. Crawford.
Milone (1-1) pitched into the sixth. Logan Forsythe missed a home run by inches and settled for an RBI double in the fourth, and Ronald Guzmán homered on a 1-2 pitch in the fifth. Those were the only costly mistakes by Milone, who allowed four hits and struck out seven.
Rangers manager Chris Woodward said he thought an early start time and shadows on the field were a factor.
"I think more so for him (Milone) because he is an off-speed guy. He changes speeds, he moves the ball around. Our hitters had a tough time seeing that changeup," Woodward said.
Texas starter Lance Lynn (6-4) struck out 10 and yielded three earned runs in six innings.
"I gave up three runs and we lost, so it doesn't matter how many strikeouts," Lynn said.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)