Rangers 5, Mariners 2

123456789 R H E
TEX (5-5) 002020001 5 9 0
SEA (3-3) 000001100 2 11 1

Final

 
W:K. Millwood (2-1)
L:J. Washburn (0-1)
SV:E. Gagne (1)

Gagne shuts down Mariners, earns first save since June 6

ESPNDallas.com 
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Regular Season Series
Seattle leads 11-8 (as of Fri 4/13)
>Fri 4/13 TEX 5, @SEA 2 Box Score
Sat 4/14 @SEA 8, TEX 3 Recap
Sun 4/15 @SEA 14, TEX 6 Recap
Mon 4/23 SEA 5, @TEX 4 Recap
Tue 4/24 Postponed/Delayed Information
Thu 5/31 @SEA 9, TEX 5 Recap
Fri 6/1 TEX 9, @SEA 8 Recap
Sat 6/2 @SEA 5, TEX 4 Recap
Sun 6/3 @SEA 11, TEX 6 Recap
Mon 7/23 @TEX 8, SEA 7 Recap
Tue 7/24 @TEX 2, SEA 1 Recap
Tue 7/24 @TEX 4, SEA 3 Recap
Wed 7/25 @TEX 7, SEA 6 Recap
Thu 8/23 SEA 9, @TEX 4 Recap
Fri 8/24 SEA 4, @TEX 2 Recap
Sat 8/25 @TEX 5, SEA 3 Recap
Sun 8/26 @TEX 5, SEA 3 Recap
Fri 9/28 @SEA 6, TEX 4 Recap
Sat 9/29 @SEA 5, TEX 1 Recap
Sun 9/30 @SEA 4, TEX 2 Recap
· Complete Schedule: Mariners | Rangers
Scoring Summary
TEXSEA
3rdI Kinsler reached on infield single to third, M Kata to third, J Hairston to second, M Kata scored, J Hairston to third on throwing error by third baseman A Beltre.10
3rdM Young grounded into fielder's choice to pitcher, J Hairston scored, I Kinsler out at second.20
5thI Kinsler homered to left, J Hairston scored.40
6thR Sexson doubled to deep right center, R Ibanez scored.41
7thA Beltre doubled to deep center, J Lopez scored.42
9thM Kata homered to right.52
· View complete Play-By-Play
Game Information
StadiumSafeco Field, Seattle, WA
Attendance25,243 (52.7% full) - % is based on regular season capacity
Game Time2:36
Weatherindoors
UmpiresHome Plate - Ron Kulpa, First Base - Paul Emmel, Second Base - Dale Scott, Third Base - Chris Guccione
Associated Press

A CLOSER LOOK
• Summary: This is what the Rangers had in mind when they added Eric Gagne in the offseason. Gagne, making his first relief appearance since June 6, 2006, allowed a single, struck out one and induced a double play to preserve Kevin Millwood's win.

Eric Gagne
Gagne

• Hero: Ian Kinsler's two-run home run in the third inning was his third home run in four games and got the Rangers' offense rolling.

• Figure this: Rangers designated hitter Sammy Sosa ended an 0-for-15 skid with a hard single past Adrian Beltre in the fourth inning.

• Unsung hero: Gagne got his first American League save, but Millwood had control of the situation from the start. He allowed one run in six innings of work while striking out two.

• Elias Says: There's been no sophomore slump so far for Ian Kinsler, who hit his fifth home run of the season Friday. No other member of last year's rookie class has more than two homers this year.

-- ESPN.com news services

Rangers 5, Mariners 2

SEATTLE (AP) -- Eric Gagne walked onto a major league mound for the first time in more than 10 months and was greeted by a cheesy scoreboard clip trying to inspire a Mariners rally against him.

It didn't work.

Gagne pitched a scoreless ninth inning, including a strikeout of Ichiro Suzuki, for his second save in 22 months to help the Texas Rangers beat Seattle 5-2 on Friday night.

In the scoreboard clip, Kurt Russell was portraying former Olympic hockey coach Herb Brooks in the movie "Miracle." But in his head, Gagne was replaying the hard rock anthem that used to greet him in the ninth inning when he was the closer in Los Angeles: Guns 'N Roses "Welcome to the Jungle."

"I was trying to stop shaking. I was nervous out there," Gagne said of his first save since last June 6, before back surgery ended his season in July. "It's been two frustrating years. Now, I'm back on track."

The bushy haired, bushing bearded Gagne then knocked his hand on the wood shelf of his locker.

"You never know when it's going to end," he said.

He thought it might be over last summer when doctors took out 85 percent of his L-4 and L-5 vertebrae in his lower back. Then came three months without being able to jog, more waiting for a pitching elbow to heal from surgery last April and two weeks of extended spring training with Double-A Frisco that ended when he came off the disabled list Friday morning.

Ian Kinsler hit his third home run in four games and Matt Kata had three hits, including a solo home run in his first major league start in two years. Opening-day starter Kevin Millwood allowed a run in six innings despite battling a bad cold.

But all of that meant far less to Texas than Gagne's return to relevance.

The Rangers took a $6 million, one-year flyer on him -- with as much as $5 million more possible based on how many games the three-time All-Star finishes.

All that is why Friday's ninth inning was as glorious for Gagne as any of the 152 games he saved for L.A. from 2002-04. And key for the Rangers, too.

"Finally, we got a chance to see him close a ball game," relieved manager Ron Washington said. "That's what we brought him here to do, get three outs."

Gagne said he was overanxious while falling behind the first batter he faced, pinch-hitter Ben Broussard. He fell behind 2-0 before Broussard blooped a single off him.

Gagne then threw four consecutive fastballs that hit 93 mph to Ichiro Suzuki. Last year's major league hits leader swung over the fourth one for his eighth strikeout in 22 at-bats, extending his hitless streak to 12 at bats.

Former Dodgers teammate Adrian Beltre, who swore if he ever faced Gagne in a game, he wanted to see a curveball, was next. Beltre told Gagne he know when the closer was about to throw a curve because he could see his fingers spread before the pitch from his position at third base.

Beltre never saw the first-pitch bender coming and froze as the strike went by. The two former Dodgers then laughed at each other. Gagne even had to step off the mound momentarily to get serious again.

"No, I was expecting that," Beltre said, still smiling about his former pal.

Two fastballs later, Beltre grounded into a double play. Game over, just as the L.A. scoreboard used to proclaim.

"I wanted to (mess) him up ... but I'm happy for him," Beltre said. "It would be kind of sad to see that much talent and an arm like that lost to injury."

Gagne punctuated his save with three, short, understated fist pumps. He received hugs from his new teammates, and threw the ball his teammates gave him into the stands.

"I've done that 84 times in a row," Gagne said, referring to his major league record for save conversions that ended in 2004.

Game notes
Sammy Sosa ended an 0-for-15 skid with a hard single past Beltre in the fourth. In the eighth, he did his familiar skip-hop after he hit what he thought was a home run, but LF Raul Ibanez caught the drive on the warning track. ... The Mariners played their sixth game on the season's 13th day, thanks to four snowouts and a rainout on a seven-game trip through Cleveland and Boston. ... Jarrod Washburn (0-1), who was pitching for the first time in 10 days, allowed four runs -- three earned -- and seven hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked one. ... Kinsler has a team-leading five home runs in nine games this season. In 120 games for Texas last season, he hit 14 home runs. ... Millwood struck out two and walked two. The only run he allowed came on Richie Sexson's one-out double in the sixth, after Ibanez singled.


Series At A Glance

Texas leads 1-0 (as of 4/13)
Details [+]

MLB Scores

Friday, April 13th 2007
Cincinnati 6 Final
Chi Cubs 5
Kansas City 1 Final
Baltimore 8
LA Angels 1 Final
Boston 10
Chi White Sox 6 Final
Cleveland 4
Houston 9 Final
Philadelphia 6
San Francisco 8 Final
Pittsburgh 5
Detroit 1 Final
Toronto 2 in 10
Washington 2 Final
NY Mets 3
Florida 11 Final
Atlanta 4
Tampa Bay 4 Final
Minnesota 2
Milwaukee Postponed
St. Louis
Colorado 6 Final
Arizona 3
NY Yankees 4 Final
Oakland 5 in 11
Texas 5 Final
Seattle 2
San Diego 1 Final
LA Dodgers 9