Rodney walks in winning run as Rangers beat Mariners 4-3

ARLINGTON, Texas — This was ordinary heartbreak in the Mariners’ playbook. A mere walk-off loss by a club that has perfected the art over the years.

The deciding factor Monday night was an inability to handle bunts, which fueled Texas’ winning rally in the ninth inning. The end came when Adrian Beltre, the one-time Mariner, drew a five-pitch walk with the bases loaded.

Texas 4, Mariners 3.

Ryan Strausborger started the winning rally with a leadoff bunt single that got past Fernando Rodney.

Delino DeShields then put down a sacrifice bunt, which Gold Glove third baseman Kyle Seager fielded and looked briefly at second before throwing to first.

DeShields beat the throw. The Rangers had runners at first and second with no outs. The Mariners challenged, but the replays were inconclusive, i.e., the call stood after a delay of 3 minutes, 30 seconds.

When play resumed, Rodney (5-5) hit Shin-Soo Choo with a first-pitch fastball. Bases loaded with no outs.

Prince Fielder struck out, but Beltre walked — and it was over.

It was the Mariners’ ninth walk-off loss of the season, which leads all American League teams. That makes 64 since the start of the 2010 season.

That’s easily the most in either league.

The Mariners had a chance in their ninth after Austin Jackson led off with a single up the middle against Texas closer Shawn Tolleson.

After Brad Miller struck out, Logan Morrison hit a soft grounder to short that moved Jackson to second. But Tolleson (5-2) ended the inning by retiring Mike Zunino on a grounder to first.

Right-hander Taijuan Walker gave up 10 hits in six innings but limited the damage to three runs. He handed off a tie game to just-recalled Edgar Olmos in the seventh.

Texas lefty Cole Hamels, in his third start since arriving from Philadelphia, squandered leads of 2-0 and 3-2 before departing after seven innings.

It was 2-2 when Elvis Andrus led off the Texas sixth with a single. Rougned Odor followed with a bunt single when Walker failed to make a clean pick-up.

Chris Gimenez’s sacrifice bunt almost turned into a base-hit, but second baseman Robinson Cano made a nice catch at first on Walker’s low throw.

Texas got the go-ahead run on Ryan Strausborger’s sacrifice fly to center.

Hamels provided the Mariners with a chance to counter in the seventh when Mark Trumbo singled and Logan Morrison walked.

After Brad Miller replaced Trumbo as a pinch-runner at second, Mike Zunino put down a sacrifice bunt that moved the runners to second and third.

Ketel Marte tied the game with a single that fell in front of right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, but Kyle Seager’s fly to right resulted in an inning-ending double play when Choo threw out Morrison at the plate.

The Rangers nicked Walker for one run in the first inning after Choo worked back from a 1-2 hole for a one-out walk.

Prince Fielder followed with a single up the middle past a non-diving Robinson Cano that moved Choo to third. Adrian Beltre then pulled an RBI double into the left-field corner.

But Walker stopped it there by striking out Mitch Moreland and retiring Andrus on a grounder to short.

Texas added another run after Choo led off the third inning with a single. Fielder popped out, but Beltre pulled a double past a diving Seager at third that scored Choo for a 2-0 lead.

The Mariners’ only hit against Hamels through three innings was Nelson Cruz’s two-out single in the first. That was notable because it extended Cruz’s streak of reaching base successfully to a career-best 28 games.

Hamels started the fourth, though, by walking Seager and Cruz. After Cano struck out, Franklin Gutierrez lined an RBI double into the left-field corner.

That put runners at second and third with one out, but the chance for a big inning slipped away when Jackson struck out and Trumbo grounded out.

The Mariners stirred again in the fifth when Morrison and Zunino opened the inning with singles. The Rangers turned Ketel Marte’s bunt into a force at third.

But Seager tied the game with an RBI single to center.