ARLINGTON, Texas — The hottest team in baseball will remain that way until after the All-Star break.
The Seattle Mariners saw to that Sunday by running their winning streak to 14 with a 6-2 victory over the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. The streak is the longest winning streak for any team heading to the All-Star break in Major League history.
Seattle, which is one win shy of matching its franchise-best winning streak set in 2001, is 14-1 in July and hasn’t lost since a 3-1 defeat to Oakland on July 1. The streak matches Atlanta for the longest in the majors this season.
Two big swings were all Seattle needed Sunday to run its record against Texas to 8-2 this season.
Down 1-0 in the fourth, catcher Cal Raleigh lined a two-run homer to right off Texas starter Glenn Otto (4-6) with two outs. It was the 13th homer of the season for the switch-hitting Raleigh, the most by any catcher in the American League.
Seattle got insurance from a familiar face in the fifth as Ty France hit a solo homer off Otto. The homer was just part of a memorable day for France, who was named to the American League All-Star roster just before the game. France will join teammate Julio Rodriguez on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Rodriguez also flexed his All-Star muscle with a two-run double in the seventh as part of his two-hit day. Seattle’s two All-Stars accounted for four of the team’s 10 hits and four RBI.
Ryan Borucki (2-0) worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Chris Flexen to pick up the win. Flexen, starting on three days’ rest, allowed a run on four hits in 3 2/3 innings. Flexen struck out three.