SEATTLE (AP) — Elvis Andrus scored from third on a wild pitch by Brandon League to break a scoreless tie in the top of the 12th inning and the Texas Rangers beat the mistake-prone Mariners 2-0 Friday night, spoiling Cliff Lee's sterling Seattle debut.
Julio Borbon's RBI groundout off League (3-2) came a few pitches after the right-hander skipped a pitch off catcher Adam Moore's glove. League had retired all six Rangers he'd faced in the 10th and 11th innings.
Frank Francisco (3-3) pitched a wild 11th for Texas before Neftali Feliz finished for his fourth save in five chances.
Texas starter Colby Lewis matched Lee's three hits and seven scoreless innings, then exceeded it with nine scoreless in all. He retired 21 consecutive batters.
The Mariners had the bases loaded with one out in both the 10th and 11th innings.
Suzuki led off the bottom of the 11th with his third single, against Francisco. Slumping Chone Figgins then bunted in front of the mound while Francisco and catcher Matt Treanor let the ball roll for a single.
Gutierrez, the No. 3 hitter who struck out against Lewis in his previous two at bats, twice failed on sacrifice bunt attempts before striking out again. Francisco walked Jose Lopez to load the bases for Eric Byrnes, who had entered as a pinch-runner for Ken Griffey Jr. the previous inning.
Byrnes then inexplicably pulled back the bat on an outside pitch during a suicide squeeze attempt. Treanor dropped the ball but recovered in time to tag Suzuki in the left shin for the second out.
Texas manager Ron Washington was ejected for arguing with plate umpire Jim Wolf seconds Suzuki was called out. Once he left, Byrnes froze when Francisco threw a 1-2 mistake right down the middle for strike three, squandering Seattle's chance to make Lee's debut with the Mariners a winner.
Lee's curveballs bent as if refracted. That made his fastballs and sliders sneaky, and just as effective.
The 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner with Cleveland struck out eight and allowed three hits. He walked no one, went to a three-ball count just twice in 25 batters, and threw first-pitch strikes 19 times.
He threw 98 pitches, two below the limit the Mariners set for him. It was his first start against a major league team since March 15 — the day he strained his abdomen in a collision behind the plate with Arizona's Chris Snyder during a scoring play.
Lewis was just as good for Texas.
Using fastballs and sliders that had Seattle flailing, Lewis struck out 10 for the third time in five starts this season. His 21 consecutive retired Mariners came after Suzuki singled leading off the third.
Ian Kinsler made his season debut for the Rangers after six weeks of rehabilitating a high ankle sprain.
In the 10th inning, Seattle blew its chance when Casey Kotchman popped out on a check swing against Darren Oliver. After an intentional walk, reliever Darren O'Day got pinch-hitter Mike Sweeney to hit into a double play.
NOTES: Texas OF Vladimir Guerrero left the game after lining out in the 10th. ... Lee's arrival meant RHP Ian Snell and his $4 million-plus salary is leaving Seattle's rotation for the bullpen. ... The Mariners' corresponding roster move to activating Lee from the DL was optioning reliever Shawn Kelly to Triple-A Tacoma. ... As Kinsler came off the DL, Texas placed INF Joaquin Arias on it with a lower back strain. Arias had hit .321 and started 13 games at 2B for Kinsler.
Rangers 2, Mariners 0, 12 innings. SUBS 2nd graf to CORRECT RBI groundout to Borbon, sted Hamilton.
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