Rangers slam Mariners, 10-1

Palmeiro powers Texas with career-high 7 RBIs

? Rafael Palmeiro hit a grand slam and a three-run homer for career-high seven RBIs and lead the Texas Rangers over the Seattle Mariners, 10-1, Monday night.

With 514 homers, Palmeiro moved into 15th place on the career list, two ahead of Ernie Banks. Palmeiro hit a three-run homer off Ryan Franklin (7-9) in a four-run first, then hit his 11th career slam off Arthur Rhodes in the seventh. It was Palmeiro’s 32nd multihomer game, his second this season.

Joaquin Benoit (6-5), pitching on three days’ rest for the first time in his two-year major league career, didn’t allow a hit until Ichiro Suzuki singled to right leading off the sixth.

Benoit struck out seven in seven innings, allowing two hits and two walks. Randy Winn singled in the seventh for Seattle’s other hit off Benoit.

Hank Blalock hit his 17th homer and went 4-for-5 for Texas, which led 4-0 after four batters.

Michael Young reached on third baseman Willie Bloomquist’s fielding error, Blalock singled, Alex Rodriguez hit an RBI single and Palmeiro put a pitch into the right-field seats.

Texas made it 6-0 in the fifth on Blalock’s two-run homer off Franklin.

Pat Borders had an RBI double for Seattle in the eighth off Ron Mahay.

Angels 2, Athletics 1

Anaheim, Calif. — Tim Salmon and Garret Anderson hit run-scoring singles in the eighth inning as Anaheim avoided a four-game sweep.

After sharp performances by Oakland’s Barry Zito and Anaheim’s Jarrod Washburn, the game still was scoreless when David Eckstein drew a two-out walk in the eighth from Ricardo Rincon (6-4).

Darin Erstad sent Eckstein to third with a single that stopped an 0-for-14 slide and Chad Bradford relieved. Salmon then bounced an 0-2 pitch off the pitcher’s glove for an infield hit that put Anaheim ahead, and Anderson followed a run-scoring single to center.

Texas' Hank Blalock, right, is congratulated by third-base coach Steve Smith. Blalock was 4-for-5, including a two-run home run off Seattle's Ryan Franklin, in the Rangers' 10-1 victory Monday night in Seattle.

All-Star reliever Brendan Donnelly (1-1) pitched a scoreless eighth, escaping his own jam in the eighth by striking out Miguel Tejada, Oakland’s RBIs leader, with a runner at third.

Troy Percival got three outs for his 23rd save in 24 chances, allowing a leadoff homer in the ninth to Erubiel Durazo.

Washburn, who allowed a career-high 10 runs over 31/3 innings Wednesday at Texas, needed 29 pitches to get out of the first. then settled down. He wound up allowing four hits and one walk in seven innings, while striking out seven.

Zito, who has lost three straight decisions, allowed five hits in seven innings with two strikeouts and no walks.

Anaheim had its best scoring chance against Zito in the fifth, when Bengie Molina led off with a double and advanced on a groundout by Scott Spiezio. But Robb Quinlan, making his major league debut, hit his second comebacker to Zito and Adam Kennedy struck out.

Oakland stranded a runner at second base in the first and second innings. Salmon prevented a run in the second when he made a sliding catch of Adam Piatt’s flyball in right field and doubled up Terrence Long at first base to end the inning.

That double play began a string of 15 consecutive batters retired by Washburn. Eric Chavez broke the spell with a line single to center with two outs in the seventh, moments after a cloudburst sent most of the crowd scurrying for cover.