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SEATTLE - A friendly community service reminder: The Rangers host Seattle for three games starting Monday. For those who can't land Stars tickets and want to see a fight, plenty of good seats are available in Arlington.
They could be three action-packed days.
The benches - and bullpens - spilled onto the field Thursday night during the Rangers' 5-0 victory to close out a four-game series in Seattle. The Rangers won three of the four games, including the last two by shutouts, and escaped last place in the AL West.
The Rangers, who finished the road trip by pitching 21 consecutive scoreless innings, went 5-2 on the trip. It's the first time the Rangers have had consecutive shutouts since Sept. 18-19, 2004, at Los Angeles.
The Mariners, who now occupy the division's bottom spot, certainly appeared to be a frustrated team.
Starter Felix Hernandez, who fell behind 4-0 after two innings, hit a pair of Rangers before the brawl ever erupted. The situation didn't come to a boil until Seattle's Richie Sexson thought a two-out, fourth-inning pitch from soft-tossing left-hander Kason Gabbard was intended for his neck. The pitch, though high, was just slightly inside.
Sexson took off for the mound and fired his helmet at Gabbard's back. The pair tumbled to the ground as catcher Gerald Laird, perhaps caught off guard by Sexson's sprint, arrived to try and pull them apart.
As the rest of the players arrived, various other scrums broke out. Rangers pitcher Sidney Ponson required restraining. Laird, who Hernandez had hit earlier, and the Mariners' starter also had to be pulled apart.
Ironically, it was Milton Bradley, who tore a knee ligament last year while being restrained during an argument with an umpire, who picked up Laird and carried him back toward the dugout. Twice after putting him down, Bradley shoved Laird back.
When it was over, Sexson was the only player ejected. But the fight took a toll on Gabbard, too. He suffered bruises to his legs while pinned beneath Sexson and Laird. He managed to stay in the game for two more batters, then left. It was Gabbard's first start after returning from a stiff back. The Rangers don't believe the injury is serious, however.
The game turned tense after Hernandez hit Ian Kinsler in the top of the fourth.
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(c) 2008, The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Mclatchy-Tribune News Service.
