Adrian Beltre gets pinch-hit duty as Rangers bruised by Mariners

The good news first: Adrian Beltre made a pinch-hit appearance on Wednesday, his first action since Aug. 31, when his hamstring bit him.

The bad news, Part I: The Rangers’ American. League wild-card hopes took another hit in a very one-sided 8-1 loss to Seattle.

The bad news, Part II: Martin Perez’s winning streak is over.

Texas (72-73) lost another game to Minnesota for the AL’s second wild-card berth. The Rangers fell to four games back of the Twins with 17 games left. The Mariners, meanwhile, moved a half-game ahead of Texas.

The Rangers’ loss was their second consecutive and fourth in their last five games.

That’s not the recipe for overcoming long-shot playoff odds that grow longer with each loss or missed opportunity to gain ground and time not on their side.

“We know that,” shortstop Elvis Andrus said. “We need to play with a little bit more urgency. We don’t really have too many games left and we have to leave everything when we go out there on the field every single day.

“I think that’s what we’re missing right now. We need to find a way to way to create that energy and lay it all out.”

It hasn’t helped that Texas has been without three contributors – Beltre, Mike Napoli, and Carlos Gomez – on an offense that appeared lost on Wednesday. Robinson Chirinos had the lone hit with a runner in scoring position, a run-scoring single in the sixth.

Texas went 1 for 8 in those situations.

Manager Jeff Banister brought Beltre out of the dugout as a pinch-hitter with runners on first and third and two outs and the game still in the balance, 3-1, in the sixth.

He popped out to center, though he was able to run to first.

“It was probably the only spot that we were going to get an opportunity to use Adrian in a big spot, and he’s ready to hit,” said Banister. “I don’t want to pass up the opportunity to have our best guy not be able to come up in a situation to change the game, and that was a situation we could change the game.”

The Rangers received some clarity Wednesday on the mystery of Napoli.

Two MRIs confirmed that the first baseman and designated hitter has a “stress reaction” in his lower right leg.

Napoli was active but didn’t play in Wednesday’s game, the third of a four-game series with the Mariners. The missed game was his third in as many days.

Carlos Gomez, meanwhile, has taken off the walking boot used to help support a sprained ankle. He hit in the indoor cages on Wednesday.

Banister said Beltre would be evaluated tomorrow to see if his role could be even further expanded to perhaps DH in the coming days.

“Each day he’s progressively gotten better,” Banister said. “He’s done some light jogging, so we’ll see. We’ll talk to him, gather with the medical staff and Adrian, just see where he’s at, tomorrow and the next day.”

Seattle right-hander Mike Leake (10-12) and four relievers turned the screws on the Rangers, who could manage only five hits. Leake earned the victory, giving up one run on five hits and walk while striking out five over 5  2/3 innings.

Perez (12-11) had his winning streak stopped at seven games, one shy Kenny Rogers’ club record established in 2005. The Rangers lefty gave up three runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out five over 5 1/3 innings.

Perez entered the game with a 7-0 record and a 3.15 ERA in his last seven starts.

He gave up three runs in the fifth on two home runs, one Mike Zunino’s towering solo shot hit 469 feet into the Club Level – the second deck in left field. Two hitters later, Jean Segura hit a two-run shot to left.

Jake Diekman proved he is still human. He and Matt Bush gave up five runs in Seattle’s seventh.

Diekman’s three runs allowed were his first since coming off the DL last week.

The Rangers were somewhat sloppy defensively. An errant throw by left fielder Drew Robinson helped along Seattle’s five-run seventh.

Perez and his manager were both regretting the two pitches thrown to Zunino and Segura, both curveballs, one down – and way out – one up.

“Those three guys mean a lot, but at the same time there’s no time for excuses,” Andrus said of Beltre, Napoli, and Gomez. “Whoever is playing has to go out there and do his job, too. It’s a good opportunity for young guys to show what they got at a perfect time and that’s what they need to do, is play hard.”

This story was originally published September 13, 2017 at 10:46 PM with the headline "Adrian Beltre gets pinch-hit duty as Rangers bruised by Mariners."