DeShields paces Rangers in win

ARLINGTON, Texas—Delino DeShields homered after taking a speedier trip around the bases for an earlier run as the Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 5-3 on Monday night in the opener of a four-game series matching teams still hoping to get one of the AL’s two wild cards.

Cole Hamels (10-3) struck out seven in six innings to win for the first time in his last four starts.

DeShields reached on a one-out bunt single in the second, when he was initially called out before a replay challenge overturned the call. DeShields then raced home from first on ShinSoo Choo’s two-run double that made it 4-1, running through a stop sign from fill-in thirdbase coach Jason Wood and scoring on a nifty headfirst slide.

Two innings later, DeShields hit his fifth homer. Alex Claudio worked a perfect ninth to get his eighth save in 12 chances for the Rangers (72-71), who got within two games of idle Minnesota for the American League’s second wild-card spot. Seattle (71-73) is 3 1/2 games back.

Kyle Seager and Mitch Haniger homered for Seattle. Seager led off the second with his 23rd homer and Haniger, who had three hits and finished a triple shy of the cycle, had a two-run shot in the third.

Mariners starter Ariel Miranda (8-7) allowed gave up six hits and walked three in only 1 2-3 innings.

Texas led for good when Nomar Mazara hit a two-run double in the first—a ball that ricocheted off the upper half of the wall in right-center field.