Mariners 8, Rangers 3: M's declared victors in ninth after game called due to rain

They wisely stopped play in the ninth inning of this one after shortstop Jack Wilson appeared to be auditioning for a Tide commercial as he scrambled on his chest to pick up a grounder in the mud. The Rangers had two on with none out when they stopped play as a rain that had been pouring down the past two innings took a turn for the worse. Seattle finally wound up with an 8-3 win, knocking the Rangers three games back of Boston in the AL wild-card race. This was actually a pretty serious setback for the Rangers. Three back with three weeks to go is not a season-ender, but it's a formidable gap. Ichiro set the tone tonight in his first two at-bats, getting the double and the home run to give Brandon Morrow a comfort zone. Morrow looked OK over his five innings. It's a start. He gets his first win since last Sept. 26, when he beat Oakland in the final week of the 2008 season. Big night for Ken Griffey Jr. as well, getting three hits, including two doubles the opposite way to l...