ARLINGTON, Texas — Cliff Lee was finally complete in Texas, where he struggled so often in the past.
Lee threw a seven-hitter, holding the Texas Rangers scoreless until the ninth inning, to help the Seattle Mariners snap a three-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory Monday night.
“I was just locating fastballs, getting ahead in the count, and mixing in a few off-speed pitches here and there and forced them to swing the bat,” Lee said. “That was the extent of it.”
Except, it had never been that easy before for Lee at Rangers Ballpark, where in his six previous starts — one in each season from 2004-09 — the left-hander compiled a 9.19 ERA and had allowed at least six runs in his previous three outings.
“This is a hitter’s park. If you miss up, they’ve got some big, strong guys over there who can drive the ball,” Lee said. “It’s a deadly combination if you’re missing out over the plate.”
This time, Lee (4-2) struck out seven, walked none and limited the Rangers to seven singles. He threw 84 of his 107 pitches for strikes.
“That’s as professional as you can pitch a ball game,” Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said. “It was just a gutsy performance in that (90-degree) heat. It was a joy to watch. I said earlier that he was going to go nine to give our bullpen a rest, and that’s what he did.”
Texas didn’t get a runner past second base until the ninth. Lee pitched at least eight innings for the third game in a row and fifth time this season.
It was the 15th career complete game for Lee and second in his eight starts since the Mariners acquired him from Philadelphia last winter.
Michael Saunders hit a three-run homer in the second inning off Scott Feldman (3-6) to give Seattle a 3-0.
“That was pretty much the game right there,” Feldman said. “Cliff Lee pitched great and from that point on, I got a little better after the home run. … The home run kind of got me.”
An inning later, the Mariners added an unearned run when Mike Carp reached on an error and scored on Rob Johnson’s single.
Feldman allowed four runs, three earned, in 52/3 innings. He struck out four and walked two.
After Michael Young and Ian Kinsler had consecutive singles to start the ninth, Vladimir Guerrero flied out deep to center to push a Texas runner to third base for the first time. Josh Hamilton had an RBI single and another run came home on a fielder’s choice grounder.
A fielding error by Lee extended the game an extra batter. Lee wasn’t able to handle first baseman Casey Kotchman’s toss on David Murphy’s grounder to the right side of the infield.
Lee tried to make a barehanded grab, but the ball slipped through his fingers. After Wakamatsu came out to talk with the umpires — and give Lee a second to catch his breath — the game ended on Matt Treanor’s infield popout.
Lee had retired 10 consecutive batters until the singles in the ninth by Young and Kinsler, who came into the game mired in a 2-for-21 slump.
Slumping second baseman Chone Figgins was 3-for-4 hitting in the No. 9 spot for Seattle for the first time. It was his first three-hit game since April 13, raising his average 10 points to .230.
Figgins, who signed a $36 million, four-year contract with Seattle last winter, made his first 56 starts this season in the No. 2 spot. He hadn’t been in a starting lineup batting ninth since June 5, 2007, with the Los Angeles Angels, and wasn’t happy about being dropped to the bottom.
“I’ve earned respect as a player,” Figgins said after the game. “I’m still battling and when I’m going good, then I should stay where I was at. There’s nobody who can ever doubt what I do on the field. I come to play every single day no matter what the situation.”
Notes
Figgins also had an impressive defensive play. He made a running, diving catch on Joaquin Arias’ soft liner in short right field in the second. … Despite the loss, Texas is 20-11 at home this season.
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