The Texas Rangers' Joc Pederson led a home-run barrage in Monday's 7-3 win over the Seattle Mariners, hitting two of the four home runs that helped his team secure the victory.
The Rangers' offense was too much for Mariners starter George Kirby, who allowed 7 runs — the most he's given up this season — with 7 hits in 4 innings. Kirby's 3 strikeouts tied a season-low, and his ERA went from 3.57 to 3.98 with the loss.
Despite trade rumors surrounding his name, Kirby insisted there was no distraction from the speculation. "I don't have Twitter, so I don't see it," he told the Seattle Times' Adam Jude.
Pederson now has 19 homers for the season, tied with Jake Burger to lead the Rangers. After being limited to 96 games in 2025 with a fractured right hand, the 13-year veteran is on his way to his third 20-homer season in the past five years.
On the pitching side, Kumar Rocker held the Mariners to 2 runs and 4 hits over 6 2/3 innings with 7 strikeouts. This marks the second consecutive start where Rocker has allowed just 2 total runs, following a 9-3 loss to the Houston Astros on July 11.
Randy Arozarena hit his 13th homer of the season, while Julio Rodríguez and J.P. Crawford each drove in runs with sacrifice flies for the Mariners. However, it wasn't enough to overcome Kirby's struggles.
The defeat dropped Seattle to 52-55, 2.5 games out of first place in the division. The Mariners are also two games back from the AL's third wild-card playoff spot in a jumble with the Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros, and Baltimore Orioles.
The task ahead for the Mariners will only get tougher, as they visit the Los Angeles Dodgers next. Meanwhile, the Rangers face the Tampa Bay Rays for a three-game set, looking to build on their momentum.
Source: Yahoo Sports