Mariners take 5-3 lead

Seattle scored twice with two outs, the first run coming on a broken-bat pinch hit by Chris Shelton, and the Mariners lead 5-3 starting the eighth. Six of the eight games between the two teams this season have been by three runs or less and in the seventh inning or later. Darren O'Day retired the first two hitters rather easily in the eighth, but Ken Griffey Jr. reached on an infield single on a ball that Elvis Andrus fielded cleanly but his throw pulled Hank Blalock off the bag. Franklin Gutierrez followed with a single to bring up Ryan Langerhans. The Rangers went to C.J. Wilson and the Mariners to Shelton, who got ahead in the count and shot a ball over Andrus' head. Rob Johnson followed with another single just over Andrus' head to give the Mariners a two-run cushion. -- Jeff Wilson