Tim Heitman – USA TODAY SPORTS
For whatever reason, young starter Erasmo Ramirez seems to be the only Seattle Mariners pitcher to benefit from significant run support this season. Despite an ERA of 5.94, Ramirez is sporting a 4-0 record since being called up on July 11. The young Mariner pitched well again today, allowing only one earned run over seven solid innings but ended up with a no decision, as instead reliever Yoervis Medina picked up his fourth win of the season.
Today’s 4-3 Seattle victory was especially impressive and important for Ramirez because he held his own against Texas Rangers ace Yu Darvish. The Mariners manufactured three runs on seven hits off Darvish and one run off Rangers closer Joe Nathan.
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Both teams traded single-run innings until the Mariners finally closed out the Rangers with a scoreless bottom of the ninth inning, the save going to new Mariner closer Danny Farquhar.
Seattle will head west next, ending their road trip with a three game series against the Oakland Athletics before coming home to face the Los Angeles Angels and the Rangers. Sitting in 3rd place in the AL West, the Mariners remain 14.5 games behind the first place Rangers and 13 games behind the second place Athletics.
After an impressive month of July, the Mariners have struggled in August. They are 7-9 this month and 4-6 in their last ten games. The team didn’t make any moves before the trade deadline and appear content to finish the season with their roster intact.
Matt Lanka is a Mariners writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @mattlanka, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
