SEATTLE — Randy Arozarena had a one-out bases-loaded single in the ninth inning to give the Seattle Mariners a 5-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night, spoiling the return of Max Scherzer.
Victor Robles doubled and stole third, and Julio Rodríguez and Cal Raleigh walked before Arozarena hit a sharp ground ball off José Leclerc (6-5) that got by shortstop Josh Smith to score Robles. Arozarena has four career walk-off hits — three singles and a home run.
With Houston’s victory over the Los Angeles Angels, the Mariners remained 4 1/2 games back in the AL West standings, and are 2 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins for the final AL wild-card spot.
Andrés Muñoz (3-6) pitched a scoreless ninth for the victory.
Josh Rojas gave the Mariners the lead with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the second, but Leody Taveras put Texas ahead with a two-run blast to right field off Logan Gilbert in the third.
Rodríguez hit a 446-foot home run to left field off Scherzer in the third to tie it, his sixth consecutive hit.
Scherzer was activated from the injured list before the game after being sidelined since July 30 because of shoulder problems. He pitched four innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts.
Marcus Semien gave the Rangers the lead in the top of the fifth with a two-run homer, but Luke Raley tied it again with a two-run blast of his own in the bottom half Jack Leiter, his career-high 20th of the season.
Leiter pitched four innings in relief, allowing two earned runs on three hits, with six strikeouts,.
Gilbert struck out seven batters over six innings of work, with four earned runs allowed on six hits.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
