Paxton’s gem leads Mariners over Rangers 5-0

SEATTLE — As any parent can attest, baby steps are sometimes the biggest.

The Seattle Mariners, with a 5-0 victory Saturday over the Texas Rangers, have now won consecutive games for the first time this season and have also clinched their first series victory (with a chance for a sweep on Sunday).

Baby steps.

They did it because James Paxton delivered a third straight dominant effort in stretching his scoreless streak to a franchise-record 21 innings at the start of a season.

Anything but baby steps.

“You can’t say enough about what Pax did tonight and the start that he’s off to,” manager Scott Servais said. “I had a feeling this could be his breakout year after what we saw last year.

“He’s just continued to build off that and to grow. Confidence. The stuff has always been there. The secondary pitches now are real weapons.”

The Mariners needed Paxton to be in top form because they spent the early innings squandering a series of scoring opportunities against Rangers starter Andrew Cashner, who was activated earlier in the day from the disabled list.

Then came a five-run burst in the sixth inning. First, Kyle Seager flicked a two-run single into right field with the bases loaded that knocked out Cashner.

“That way Paxton was throwing,” Seager said, “you feel if you get a run, we’re going to be in good shape. One run would have felt like three there. Paxton was phenomenal all night, and he’s been phenomenal all season.”

Taylor Motter followed with a 424-foot rocket to left field against reliever Mike Hauschild for a three-run homer and a five-run lead.

“He left it up a little bit,” Motter said, “and I just got the barrel to it.”

Paxton (2-0) took it from there. He allowed just two hits in eight innings while striking out nine and walking one — the first hitter of the game — in a superb 114-pitch performance.

“I’m just going out there and giving everything I’ve got,” he said. “I’ve just found a better way to do it, I guess. I’m just making some good pitches. The fastball has some good run on it. It’s jumping at the plate.”

When Paxton walked from the mound after striking out the side in the eighth, the crowd seemed to realize he was done and rose in salute, which prompted a few return waves in acknowledgement.

“Paxton threw the ball extremely well against us tonight,” Texas manager Jeff Banister said. “He was able to expand (the zone) when he got ahead, used his breaking pitch and changeup to keep us off-balance.”

Nick Vincent closed out the victory by striking out the side in the ninth.

The Mariners are 4-8 and, if not yet clicking in all phases, at least show signs of a steadying pulse.

“We obviously didn’t get off to a good start,” Seager said. “We know that. We also know who we have in this room, and we understand that it’s a long season.

“It’s obviously nice winning a series, but we’re just going to go out there and try to win (Sunday) as well.”

Paxton didn’t allow a hit until Joey Gallo’s one-out double through the shift in the sixth inning.

Gallo moved to third on a wild pitch, although it required a replay challenge to overturn an “out” call by umpire Manny Gonzalez.

Paxton escaped by striking out Delino DeShields before Carlos Gomez tried for a bunt and popped the ball to Seager at third.

“I needed it right there,” Paxton said. “At that point, the game was still 0-0. That was a big run to keep off the board. It kind of got our boys going.”

Everything changed in the bottom of the inning.

Mitch Haniger reached on a one-out single through shortstop Elvis Andrus and went to second when Andrus mishandled Robinson Cano’s grounder for an error.

When Cashner walked Nelson Cruz, the Mariners had the bases loaded with one out. And then, finally, a big hit.

Seager yanked a full-count changeup through the right side for a two-run single, which knocked out Cashner.

Motter then crushed a 0-1 slider from Hauschild to left for a three-run homer. That quickly, the lead was 5-0 and the crowd of 34,927 merrily went into a wave.