Rangers top M’s, 9-6

SEATTLE Even with the improved Seattle offense since the All-Star break one that has been scoring runs in bunches of late it was a deficit too large to overcome.

Down big early in the game, the Mariners tried to make it interesting late. But an often overlooked aspect about rallies they only work when the other team stops scoring.

After a less-than-stellar start from Taijuan Walker, the Mariners’ bullpen gave up three late runs over the final four innings that proved to be the difference in a 9-6 loss to the Rangers on Tuesday night in front of a sparse Safeco Field crowd of 13,389 the smallest of the season.

Seattle seemed headed for a forgettable, nondescript loss after the fourth inning.

Walker (10-8) gave the Mariners an uneven performance, reminiscent of starts earlier in the season. The young right-hander served up three homers while allowing a total of six runs and never making it out of the fourth inning in the loss.

After cruising through the first inning without incident and picking up the first out of the second, Walker left a 2-0 cutter over the plate that Mitch Moreland crushed into the seats in deep right-center for a solo homer and a 1-0 lead.

It didn’t get any better in the third inning. With one out and runners on first and second, Walker put a 3-2 fastball on the inside half of the plate to Shin Soo-Choo, who pulled it down the right-field line for a three-run homer.

Walker’s outing ended two batters into the fourth inning. He made a throwing error on Elvis Andrus’ swinging bunt and then gave up a two-run homer to Rougned Odor on a belt-high fastball over the middle of the plate. Odor’s 12th homer of the season pushed the lead to 6-1 and ended Walker’s outing. It was his shortest since May 2. And it was just the second time he failed to go five innings or more since May 19.

Texas tacked on another run in the sixth off reliever Jose Ramirez on a Will Venable RBI double for a 7-1 lead.

After getting just one run on a bases-loaded, no-outs situation in the third inning against Rangers starter Cole Hamels, the Mariners didn’t score again until the seventh inning.

A well-placed infield single for Mark Trumbo started the minor rally. Logan Morrison followed with a ground-rule double and Jesus Montero drove in Trumbo with his second hit of the game. Shawn O’Malley plated another run with a sacrifice fly and Jesus Sucre notched his second multi-hit game of the season with an RBI double down the left-field line to make it 7-4.

Texas answered with a run in the top of the eighth when Joey Gallo hit a moonshot solo homer into deep right off Tony Zych to make it 8-4.

The two extra runs against Seattle’s bullpen loomed large when Robinson Cano hit a two-run homer his 15th long ball of the season off hard-throwing lefty Jake Diekman to cut the lead to 8-6.

Texas tacked on another run in the top of the ninth on a fielder’s choice and aided by a leadoff walk from reliever Joe Beimel and a fielding error by Kyle Seager.

Down three runs in the ninth, the Mariners went down 1-2-3 to Rangers close Shawn Tolleson, who notched his 31st save of the season.

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