04/07/26 09:39:00
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04/07 21:37 CDT Kyle Higashioka homers as Rangers beat George Kirby for 1st
time in 3-2 win over Mariners
Kyle Higashioka homers as Rangers beat George Kirby for 1st time in 3-2 win
over Mariners
By SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) --- Kyle Higashioka gave Texas the lead with a two-run
homer, Nathan Eovaldi recorded his 1,500th career strikeout during six solid
innings and the Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Higashioka's liner just over the wall in left field in the fifth put the
Rangers in front 3-2 against George Kirby, who lost to Texas for the first time
in 11 career starts. The right-hander won eight of those first 10.
Brendan Donovan homered to right on the first pitch of the game in Eovaldi's
300th career start, but the 36-year-old right-hander settled in and struck out
seven, including Josh Naylor for his 1,500th to end the first inning. Eovaldi
(1-2) allowed six hits and two runs.
Jacob Latz finished two perfect innings with strikeouts of Naylor and Randy
Arozarena, who combined to go 0 for 8 with seven strikeouts from the 4-5 spots
in the Seattle order. The left-hander set a franchise record by holding
opponents hitless in 28 at-bats to start the season.
Jakob Junis pitched around consecutive singles to start the ninth for his
second save in two games, matching his career total from 253 career appearances
over nine seasons.
Cal Raleigh gave Seattle a 2-0 lead in the fifth with an RBI single, one night
after the catcher who led the majors with 60 homers in 2025 went deep for the
first time this season.
Kirby (1-2) had a career ERA of 0.97 against Texas when Joc Pederson and Evan
Carter opened the fifth with consecutive singles. Pederson advanced to second
on Donovan's throwing error at third base, then scored on Carter's base hit
before Higashioka drilled an 0-1 pitch to left.
Kirby gave up six hits over eight innings in his second career complete game
--- both losses in eight-inning outings --- as Mariners lost a series for the
first time in 10 meetings with the Rangers going back to September 2023.
Up next
Mariners RHP Bryan Woo (0-0, 1.38 ERA) faces Texas lefty MacKenzie Gore (1-0,
3.97) in the series finale Wednesday.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
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