The runs are somewhat easier to come by, but the Mariners are still having trouble winning.
The culprit now is the starting pitching. And the latest starter to flounder is lefty Erik Bedard, who had a five-run lead before he ever threw a pitch but was out of the game in the third inning Monday. On April 24, the Mariners' starters as a group had a collective ERA of 3.44, among the best in the league. At that point it was the relievers who were plaguing the club.
The relievers had mostly turned it around, but the starters are now in a freefall, one major reason the Mariners are 10 games under .500 and last in the American League West.
Bedard's two-inning performance means that in the last 17 games, the starters are 3-12 with a 6.62 ERA. That's driven the starters' overall ERA up to 4.63.
RANGERS 13, MARINERS 12 (10 innings): The Mariners finally scored runs by the bushel, but that didn't stop them from losing again.
Their pitchers walked 13 batters and gave up 14 hits Monday, losing the game on a homer by former Mariner Ramon Vazquez off righty Brandon Morrow with one out in the bottom of the 10th.
The Mariners were down by four runs in the ninth, but the club beat up on Texas closer lefty C.J. Wilson for four runs to tie the game, the last three of those runs coming on a three-run homer by catcher Kenji Johjima.
The loss was the 11th in the last 13 games for the Mariners.
