Ichiro (3 RBIs), Weaver power M's past Rangers

A CLOSER LOOK

• Summary: Ichiro Suzuki smashed a three-run double during Seattle's seven-run sixth inning and the Mariners hit two home runs in a 9-4 victory over the Rangers on Thursday night.

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Suzuki

• Turning point: The Padres sent 11 batters to the plate in the sixth with Suzuki's double coming in between homers by Jose Guillen and Jose Vidro.

• Red-hot Mariners: Seattle is 18-7 since a seven-game losing streak last month and has a two-game lead in the wild-card standings ahead of the New York Yankees, who were off Thursday.

• Quotable: "I think everyone might have been a little bit tired. I know I was dragging a little bit today. You don't want to make excuses, but it's tough not to point at that." -- Frank Catalanotto, on Texas scoring 39 runs in a doubleheader Wednesday and then not

getting home until after 4 a.m.

-- ESPN.com news services

Mariners 9, Rangers 4

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- The Texas Rangers were short on energy -- and runs -- one day after their record-breaking performance.

Worn out after scoring 39 runs in a doubleheader and then not getting home until after 4 a.m., the Rangers couldn't keep up with AL wild-card leader Seattle in a 9-4 loss Thursday night.

"I think everyone might have been a little bit tired," Frank Catalanotto said. "I know I was dragging a little bit today. You don't want to make excuses, but it's tough not to point at that."

Ichiro Suzuki had a three-run double in between homers by Jose Guillen and Jose Vidro during a seven-run sixth inning for the Mariners, who got to Texas in time for dinner Wednesday night after playing a day game.

"They scored 30-plus runs, but they played a doubleheader. It's hot. They got here late," Suzuki said through a translator. "I feel bad for them."

Seattle is 18-7 since a seven-game losing streak last month and has a two-game lead in the wild-card standings ahead of the New York Yankees, who were off Thursday. The Mariners also moved within one game of the AL West-leading Los Angeles Angels.

The Rangers were coming off a long doubleheader Wednesday in Baltimore, which included a 30-3 victory in the opener when they set an American League record for runs in a game. It was the first time in 110 years that a major league team scored 30 runs.

Texas won the nightcap 9-7 and finished with an AL-record 39 runs in the doubleheader.

The Rangers led 3-1 against Seattle after a pair of two-out homers: Brad Wilkerson's two-run drive in the third and a solo shot by Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the fourth. Wilkerson finished 4-for-4.

But Seattle's big inning put the game out of reach.

"Hopefully, they were tired. That (39 runs) is very impressive, no doubt. But you don't like to think about that stuff. Texas' lineup is still very potent," Mariners starter Jeff Weaver said. "It's just a matter of time before we break through. We feel really good about our team right now."

Weaver (6-10) won his fourth straight start in August. The right-hander pitched six innings, throwing 60 of his 82 pitches for strikes. He allowed three runs with five strikeouts.

Guillen led off the sixth with his 18th homer. The Mariners then loaded the bases on two singles -- including a run-scoring hit by Jose Lopez -- an error by third baseman Travis Metcalf and a hit batsman.

After Saltalamacchia, the catcher, caught Yuniesky Betancourt's foul popup behind home plate, Suzuki cleared the bases with a double into the left-center gap that chased Kameron Loe (6-10). Vidro then hit reliever Mike Wood's first pitch for his fifth homer.

"I thought we breezed through the first five innings," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "It just happened in the sixth they got something going."

Loe battled back to even the count at 2-2 after two quick balls to Suzuki. But Loe then tried to get a fourth straight fastball past Suzuki -- and lost.

"I've been beating myself up about that," Loe said. "I think if I would have gone with anything else, he's in a swing mode right there. If I would have thrown a curveball in the dirt, a changeup, something, I probably would have had a better result."

Only three of the seven runs against Loe were earned in his 5 2-3 innings. He struck out four without any walks but is 1-4 in his last six starts.

It was Saltalamacchia's fifth homer since he got to Texas after being traded from Atlanta in a deal for Mark Teixeira on July 31. Saltalamacchia homered twice and had seven RBIs in the opener against the Orioles.

Adrian Beltre, Raul Ibanez, Kenji Johjima and Guillen had two hits apiece. Johjima's RBI single in the second gave Seattle a 1-0 lead.

"Look at our record. We have a balanced lineup, it's not just one or two guys," manager John McLaren said. "We spread it out pretty good."

Game notes
Weaver has a 3.18 ERA in his four starts in August, the month in which he has a career 22-13 record. ... Loe's lone victory in his last six starts was Saturday when he threw five scoreless innings at Minnesota in his first appearance since coming off the 15-day disabled list (back stiffness). ... Wilkerson had 17 strikeouts in his previous 10 games. ... Suzuki's single in the fifth was an infield hit, his major league-best 44th of the season. ... Rangers SS Michael Young was 0-for-3 with a strikeout and two double-play grounders before his RBI single in the eighth.