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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- The Texas Rangers seem to have snapped
out of an offensive slump that threatened to bury them in the AL
West before the All-Star break.
Rafael Palmeiro and Royce Clayton homered, and Kenny Rogers
pitched seven strong innings to lead the Rangers over the Seattle
Mariners 13-3 Friday night.
Texas has won four of five after losing 12 of 15 to tumble into
last place in the division.
"We've got a lot of guys swinging the bats well right now,"
Rangers manager Johnny Oates said. "That's the closest thing we've
had to a laugher in a long time."
Palmeiro had three hits, including his 382nd career homer. His
solo homer in the fifth inning moved him into a tie for 39th on the
career list with Frank Howard and Jim Rice.
In the last six games, Palmeiro is 13-for-27 with three homers
and 12 RBIs, raising his average to .294.
"He had a slow month, but he's turned it around," Oates said.
"It's come at the right time for us. He was as frustrated as I've
ever seen him, but right now he's hitting the ball very hard."
Royce Clayton drove in three runs for the Rangers. Chad Curtis,
Mike Lamb and Rusty Greer all drove in two runs for Texas.
Greer hit a two-run double in a seven-run seventh that broke
open the game. Seattle lost for the second time in 10 games as
Texas registered its largest victory margin of the season.
The Rangers are in the midst of an important part of the
schedule with nine straight against division foes. Texas has won
three of the first four.
"Any time you play teams in your division, you want to lessen
the gap," Clayton said. "We had a good road trip and started off
the homestand the right way tonight. We just want to finish strong
before the All-Star break."
Rogers (8-5) won his fifth consecutive decision, allowing three
runs and seven hits in seven innings. He struck out six and walked two.
The Rangers took a 2-0 lead in the first off John Halama (7-4)
on Palmeiro's RBI double and Curtis' run-scoring single.
Clayton's 13th homer in the second inning made it 3-0. Seattle tied it at 3 in the fourth on Edgar Martinez's
run-scoring double and Jay Buhner's two-run homer. But Texas chased Halama in the fourth, taking a 5-3 lead on RBI
singles by Lamb and Clayton.
"The guys gave me the lead back," Rogers said. "The offense
was tremendous."
In the fifth, Palmeiro's 21st homer off Rob Ramsey extended
Texas' edge to 6-3. The Rangers scored seven times in the seventh as Curtis, Gabe
Kapler, Lamb, Clayton and Luis Alicea hit consecutive RBI singles.
It was a rough June for Halama, who finished the month with a
1-3 record and a 6.67 ERA.
"They're a very good hitting ballclub," Halama said. "It's a
division game. You can't take anything for granted. They got me, no
excuses."
Game notes
Texas has won three straight for the first time since June
3-5. ... Rangers pitcher Darren Oliver has been cleared to test his
ailing left shoulder by throwing off a mound Saturday. He is on the
15-day disabled list due to weakness in the shoulder. ... At 19-8,
the Mariners had their second-best June in team history. Seattle
had a 20-7 June in 1997. ... Texas has had three seven-run innings
this season. ... The Rangers turned four double plays.
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