Takeaway
Vidal Nuno turned in an unexpected performance on the mound, a seven-inning one-hitter, while Kyle Seager and Mark Trumbo provided eight of the Mariners’ nine hits in a 6-0 win (box score) over the Rangers Wednesday night at Safeco, the sixth win in the past eight games.
Essential moment
Seager’s two-run homer in the fifth, which came two innings after Trumbo went deep, gave the Mariners a 5-0 lead to put the game out of reach.
Pitchers
Nuno struck out a career-high 10. In his first start since Aug. 31, Nuno snapped an 11-decision losing streak while earning his first win since June 27, 2014. The only hit he, Danny Farquhar and Carson Smith allowed was in the first inning, a two-out single from Rangers DH Prince Fielder.
Hitters
Seager and Trumbo combined to go 8-for-8 with two home runs, five RBIs and four runs scored. Seager extended his hitting streak to 12 games, while Trumbo extended his streak to a career-long 11 games.
Words
“That was special, the way he threw the ball tonight. The way he was locating it, going at people – it was awesome.” – Seager on Nuno
Noteworthy
The Mariners’ Sunday starter is still undecided. McClendon is contemplating skipping RHP Taijuan Walker’s next start, but the Mariners won’t name LHP James Paxton the starter until they can evaluate a fingernail injury from his most recent rehab start. Paxton has been out since late May because of a strained finger on his pitching hand . . . OFs Nelson Cruz (strained quad) and Franklin Gutierrez (abdomen) were out of the lineup again . . . C Steven Baron made his major league debut.
Next
Thursday’s 12:40 p.m. start has quite a pitching matchup. Felix Hernandez (16-8, 3.65 ERA) will start against LHP Derek Holland (3-1, 2.37 ERA) of Texas. Holland has gone 3-0 with a 2.15 ERA in five starts since coming off the DL. He has allowed six hits and one run over 17 innings in his past two starts.
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