Franklin Gutierrez's RBI single in the fifth inning was the eventual game-winner, as the Seattle Mariners edged the Texas Rangers, 2-1, in the middle installment of a three-game set at Safeco Field.

Ken Griffey, Jr. added a solo homer for the Mariners, who have won four of five. Jose Lopez went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. Ichiro Suzuki went 3-for-4 in the win. Ryan Rowland-Smith (5-4) got the win after lasting 6 2/3 innings and giving up a run on six hits.

"Great game by Rowland-Smith," said Seattle manager Don Wakamatsu. "He just keeps giving us a belief system that this guy's going to be a force in our rotation next year."

Elvis Andrus drove in the lone run for the Rangers, who have dropped five of seven. Andruw Jones ended 2-for-3 in defeat. Tommy Hunter (9-6) took the loss after giving up two runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings of work.

Sitting on a one-run lead, Garrett Olson silenced the Rangers in the eighth, and Miguel Batista repeated the feat in the ninth to notch his first save.

The Mariners took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on Griffey's leadoff homer to right field.

Then in the fifth, Josh Wilson had a leadoff double and Suzuki followed with a single. Gutierrez' ensuing single gave Seattle a 2-0 edge.

Andrus' ground-rule, RBI double in the seventh stanza closed it to 2-1.

"It was one of those games tonight where there wasn't a whole lot of runs being scored," said Rangers manager Ron Washington.

Game Notes