Elvis Andrus and former Mariner third baseman Adrian Beltre each delivered two-out, RBI singles in the eighth inning off luckless Carter Capps to lift the Texas Rangers to a 3-1 win against the Mariners Saturday night, spoiling another splendid Safeco Field pitching performance by Joe Saunders.
Reliever Joe Ortiz (2-0) hurled two innings for his second victory in three days. Ortiz also earned the win Thursday in the opener of the four-game series. Joe Nathan tossed a perfect ninth for his fourth save in four chances.
Jason Bay had two hits and an RBI for the Mariners, who have lost four of five and dropped their second game of the series.
Saunders remained undefeated at Safeco Field with a no-decision. He allowed an unearned run on three hits in seven innings. In 11 career starts at Safeco, Saunders is 7-0 with a 1.71 ERA, down from 1.91.
Capps (0-1) issued a walk to Craig Gentry to lead off the eighth and then picked up two outs before Andrus broke the 1-1 tie with a hit to right field. Andrus stole second and kept going to third when Capps’ pitch went to the backstop, and scored on Beltre’s single.
The Mariners botched a scoring chance in the second inning when, with one out, Justin Smoak singled and Kyle Seager walked. Rangers starter Alexi Ogando, who allowed five hits and one run over 5.0 innings, got the next two outs.
In the fifth inning, catcher Kelly Shoppach led off with a double down the left-field line that bounced over the outfield fence, and went to third on Dustin Ackley’s single. With one out, Endy Chavez popped up to left, but it was too shallow for Shoppach to attempt to score.
Bay followed with a line drive to center that hit Gentry’s glove as he dove. The ball bounced off, allowing Shoppach to score the game’s first run.
The Mariners out-hit the Rangers 7-5, but went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight.
NOTES: Franklin Gutierrez was held out of the lineup for the second straight day with tightness in his right groin. Manager Eric Wedge said he hoped Gutierrez would return to the lineup Sunday . . . The Mariners announced that RHP D.J. Mitchell, designated for assignment last week, cleared waivers and elected to become a free agent.
