SEATTLE — Chris Flexen allowed one run in six innings, Luis Torrens homered for the seventh time in his past 13 games and the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 4-1 on Sunday.
Seattle extended its recent surge, winning its fifth straight series of longer than two games, and has won 11 of 15 overall.
Flexen (7-3) continued his impressive first season in Seattle after spending last year pitching in South Korea. Pitching on four days’ rest for the first time this year, Flexen struck out five and got the run support he needed from a pair of long balls.
Torrens was demoted to the minors in May but has been on a tear hitting homers since returning in mid-June. He lined a 1-2 pitch from starter Mike Foltynewicz over the wall in right field for a three-run shot with two outs in the fourth inning. Foltynewicz dropped to a knee on the mound after missing his spot with a 95 mph fastball.
Shed Long Jr. added a solo homer an inning later for Seattle. Foltynewicz (2-8) allowed only four hits over seven innings, but has given up 21 homers — the most in the majors.
The only run Flexen permitted came on a ball hit all of 54 feet. Adolis García reached on a slow chopper with two outs in the sixth inning that allowed Eli White to score from third.
Three of the four hits Flexen gave up came in the sixth inning, but he escaped the jam by striking out Joey Gallo on a changeup to end his outing.
Flexen has a 1.99 ERA in nine starts this season at home. He beat the Rangers for the third time.
Kendall Graveman pitched the ninth for his eighth save.
COLORADO BOUND
The Texas trio of García, Gallo and right-hander Kyle Gibson, and Seattle pitcher Yusei Kikuchi were named to the All-Star team on Sunday.
Gibson leads the American League with a 1.98 ERA, while Gallo and García both have 20 homers to carry the Texas offense.
Kikuchi is 6-3 with a 3.18 ERA in 15 starts for Seattle this season. He has 11 quality starts, the most of any lefty in the American League.
Kikuchi is the 14th Japanese-born player to be selected to the All-Star team and the fifth Japanese-born Mariners player, joining pitchers Kazuhiro Sasaki, Hisashi Iwakuma and Shigetoshi Hasegawa, and outfielder Ichiro Suzuki.
“I just feel really thankful for my teammates, coaches, just everyone being there for me and my family, just always supporting me through the ups and downs, especially my first two years here,” Kikuchi said through a translator.
UP NEXT
Rangers: LHP Kolby Allard (2-4, 3.46 ERA) starts Monday night as the Rangers open a three-game series at home against Detroit. Allard will be making his seventh start after moving from the bullpen to the rotation in late May. He’s 1-4 with a 3.66 ERA in his six starts to date.
Mariners: Following an off day, Seattle begins a three-game series with the New York Yankees. LHP Justus Sheffield (5-7, 5.88) will start the opener against the franchise he debuted with in 2018.
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