Ramon Vazquez knocks in go-ahead run to lead surging Rangers to 5-2 win over Mariners

Vazquez went deep in the 10th inning Monday night to give the Rangers a 13-12 victory over the Mariners in the opener of the three-game series. He finished with two RBIs in the second game as Texas won for the 12th time in 14 games.

Gerald Laird hit a leadoff single against Seattle starter Felix Hernandez in the sixth, and took second when left fielder Raul Ibanez bobbled the ball for an error.

Laird, who went 2-for-3 and reached base four times, advanced to third on Chris Shelton's sacrifice and scored on Vazquez's flyball to put Texas in front 3-2.

Vazquez added an RBI single in the eighth and Ian Kinsler followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-2.

Josh Rupe (2-1) allowed one hit in 1 2-3 scoreless innings and Eddie Guardado pitched the ninth for his first save since Aug. 12, 2006, for the Cincinnati Reds.

The Mariners, losers of 12 of 14, committed four errors.

Rangers starter Kason Gabbard allowed two runs and five hits over 5 1-3 innings five nights after Mariners first baseman Richie Sexson charged the mound and flung his helmet at Gabbard to touch off a bench-clearing brawl in Seattle.

Sexson sat out Tuesday night, serving the fourth of his five-game suspension.

Hernandez (2-4) allowed two earned runs and six hits in six innings, losing his fourth straight start. He walked five and struck out three.

Seattle pushed across two runs in the sixth. Jose Lopez hit a sacrifice fly and Kenji Johjima doubled in a run to tie it at 2.

Notes:@ The Rangers pulled within a game of .500 (20-21) for the first time since April 12 when they were 5-6. ... Seattle DH Jose Vidro missed the game with back spasms. ... Texas got its sixth consecutive series win, the most since taking seven straight from July 15-Aug. 4, 1999.

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