Seattle tops Texas, snaps losing skid with 4-3 win

When fans fill into T-Mobile Park on Tuesday night for the second of three games against Texas, some will celebrate “South of France” night put on by the Mariners, a play on the last name of Seattle’s All-Star first baseman.

Fans will receive a themed shirt and baguette, but on Monday night, Ty France was fashionably early to his party.

Already 2-for-2, France blasted a solo homer to center in the fifth inning. In the sixth, he robbed Texas’ Kole Calhoun of extra bases with a diving catch on the first base line, and Seattle went on to win Monday’s series opener against the Rangers, 4-3, behind six strong outings from starter Chris Flexen.

“(I’m) getting back into my rhythm,” France said after the game at T-Mobile Park, referring to his swing timing. “I’m getting back into the flow of things ... finding my groove again.”

The win snapped a three-game losing skid after Houston left Seattle with a weekend series sweep Sunday. Flexen’s first inning of work took only two minutes and five pitches, retiring Texas’ Marcus Semien on the game’s second pitch and shortstop Corey Seager on the offering thereafter.

France singled for his first hit in the bottom of the frame, but the Rangers turned a 5-6-3 double play on Carlos Santana’s ground ball to end a scoreless inning.

With outfielder Mitch Haniger on a rehab assignment and Jesse Winker and Julio Rodriguez day-to-day with injuries, Mariners manager Scott Servais plugged Adam Frazier into left field, who made an impressive running catch for the first out of the second inning.

Frazier, an All-Star second baseman, connected with the wall in foul territory to retire Texas’ Adolis Garcia, earning applause from shortstop J.P. Crawford and 23,581 more in attendance. Sam Haggerty and Dylan Moore, Seattle’s typical utility pieces, made up the rest of the Mariners outfield.

“It’s the first thing I thought of when I wrote the lineup today. I’ve got three second basemen in the outfield,” Servais said. “Credit to those guys. They’ve all done a really good job. Dylan has not played much center field in his career, and he’s pretty good out there. Frazier has handled everything thrown at him. Haggerty, he’s not an outfielder by trade, so to speak, but he’s handled it well.”

Flexen logged a pair of scoreless frames before Texas’ Ezequiel Duran and Josh Smith poked back-to-back singles through Seattle’s infield in the third. Semien later grounded into a fielder’s choice — putting runners on the corners with one out — but a wayward curveball to Seager allowed Duran to jog home, and the Rangers took a 1-0 lead.

Seager walked and Garcia loaded the bases when Crawford committed a rare throwing error — the first defensive miscue by a Mariner since July 14. Flexen averted major damage, though, and Crawford redeemed the mistake by throwing out Lowe on the next at-bat, ending the inning.

Flexen walked a batter in the fourth, but completed his third scoreless frame, striking out both Leody Taveras and Kole Calhoun on four-seam fastballs. He mixed in a cutter — used 33 times Monday night, tied with his fastball for a game high — plus an occasional slider and changeup.

Seattle’s starter wouldn’t receive run support until the fourth, when France dumped a leadoff single to right field and Eugenio Suarez swatted another. With one out, catcher Cal Raleigh found a middle-middle fastball from Texas starter Glenn Otto and drove France home, tying the game.

Frazier followed with the club’s fourth single of the inning to right field, loading the bases. Seattle grabbed a 2-1 lead when Otto’s 0-2 slider to Moore bounced away from catcher Jonah Heim and Suarez scampered home.

Moore was rung up on strikes to end the fourth, but Seattle had stolen the lead.

“We play these types of games against Texas, it seems like, the last few years,” Servais said. “They’re really close. They could go either way.”

France padded Seattle’s advantage with a solo homer to dead center in the fifth inning, pushing the score to 3-1. It was his third hit of the game, matching the entire Rangers lineup to that point.

And despite Flexen’s rocky third inning, the 28-year-old right-hander settled in for six strong innings of two-run ball, his 11th straight start allowing three runs or less.

“Really, I thought, it was the sharpest he’s been,” Servais said of Flexen. “He commanded the strike zone better. He was ahead in more counts, keeping the pitch count in check.

“He’s never going to wow you. He’s just always going to keep you in the game, and I appreciate that. I think every manager appreciates those types of guys.”

Garcia led off the top of the sixth with a solo homer to right field, yet it was all Texas would muster against Flexen before Servais turned to the bullpen.

Flexen’s final line — six innings, four hits, two earned runs, two walks, and five strikeouts. It was “crucial” to finish the sixth frame despite Garcia’s homer, Flexen told reporters.

“It saves the bullpen an inning there,” he said.

Seattle tacked on insurance when Carlos Santana grounded into a force out with the bases loaded in the seventh inning. Hustling to first, Santana beat out a close double play attempt and was rewarded with an RBI for the effort.

Reliever Andres Munoz fired a perfect seventh frame, facing the minimum. Paul Sewald, called on by Servais to retire an intimidating 2-3-4 pocket in Texas’ lineup, posted a hitless frame capped by Raleigh’s laser-beam throw to nab Garcia at second base on a steal attempt.

“Unbelievable,” said Flexen, who watched Crawford play Raleigh’s throw on a hop and tag Garcia from the dugout. “These guys have been good all year, but some spectacular plays all around.”

Added France, who finished 3-for-3 with a hit by pitch: “(Crawford) has a Gold Glove for a reason.”

Diego Castillo struggled in a ninth-inning save attempt, first allowing a leadoff homer to Lowe to close the Rangers’ deficit to one. Taveras followed with a single, and Castillo continued to miss the strike zone with his slider, walking Calhoun on four pitches.

The tying run stood on second, and Texas’ leading run was on base with no outs.

Castillo struck out Duran for an important first out, but Servais then called on Erik Swanson, who induced a fly out from Josh Smith and ground out from Semien to end the game.

“Obviously the first three hitters weren’t pretty,” Servais said, “but it’s a huge out to get. He didn’t back off. He made pitches to get the big out, and Swanny picked him up after that.”

A FAMILIAR FACE

Texas signed LHP Dallas Keuchel to a minor league contract before Monday’s game with the Mariners, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Keuchel, 34, was released by the Diamondbacks on Friday.

An 11-year-veteran, the left-handed starter won the American League Cy Young Award in 2015 and appeared with the Houston Astros across seven big league seasons from 2012-18. In 23 career starts against Seattle, Keuchel stifled opposing hitters to a .227/.276/.360 slash line.

After struggling with Arizona and Chicago (AL) in 2022 — Keuchel is 2-7 with an 8.53 ERA in a dozen starts for this season — the lefty will join Triple-A Round Rock when he reports later this week.

INJURY UPDATES

▪ Jesse Winker (right ankle sprain) was left out of Monday night’s lineup, but Servais said the 28-year-old outfielder could be available to appear later in the game if necessary.

“He’s feeling better,” Servais said of Winker. “He came in walking OK, not limping around or anything like that. Felt best to give him the day (off).”

▪ Julio Rodriguez (left wrist soreness) missed his fourth consecutive game on Monday night, though Servais is “very, very optimistic” the All-Star will return to Tuesday’s lineup versus the Rangers.

Rodriguez’s wrist is “doing better” Monday, Servais. What does Seattle’s skipper need to see before penciling J-Rod into the lineup?

“I just need the trainer to tell me he’s ready,” Servais said. “I don’t need to see a whole lot.”

▪ Haniger (high ankle sprain) is set to continue a rehab assignment and join the Triple-A Rainiers on Tuesday, per Servais. Haniger was 2-for-6 in three games with High-A Everett last weekend, and the 31-year-old’s recovery is “moving in the right direction.”

“All positive in that regard,” Servais said.

▪ Taylor Trammell (hamstring strain) took batting practice at T-Mobile Park on Monday and picked up running workouts. Out since June 29, the 24-year-old outfielder is set to begin a rehab assignment later this week, likely when the Mariners leave town for a seven-game road trip Thursday.

“Hopefully our lineup looks a little bit different tomorrow, and (we’ll) get some of the banged up guys back in there,” Servais said. “We’ll see how they feel when they come in.”