SEATTLE (AP) — Nathaniel Lowe drove in the go-ahead run for Texas with an infield single during a three-run eighth inning and hit a homer in the seventh, as the Rangers erased a three-run deficit for a 5-4 win over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in top prospect Kumar Rocker’s major league debut.
After Lowe made it a 4-2 game with his seventh-inning homer, Marcus Semien brought Texas within one with a solo homer off Collin Snider (3-3) in the eighth.
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Texas Rangers starting pitcher Kumar Rocker, center, greets his father and Tennessee Titans defensive line coach Tracy Rocker, left, and mother Lalitha Rocker, right, after his major league debut in a 5-4 win over the Seattle Mariners in a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Tayler Saucedo reacts to giving the Texas Rangers the lead on an RBI single by Texas Rangers' Nathaniel Lowe during the eighth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Mariners' Julio Rodríguez strikes out to end the game in a 5-4 loss to the Texas Rangers in a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim, left, greets relief pitcher Kirby Yates, right, after Yates earned the save in a 5-4 win over the Seattle Mariners in a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Kirby Yates throws against the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien, left, celebrates a 5-4 win over the Seattle Mariners with teammates, including Josh Smith, right, after a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez catches the double hit by Texas Rangers' Wyatt Langford after it bounces in front of him during the eighth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Texas Rangers' Adolis García hits into a groundout to score Josh Smith against the Seattle Mariners during the eighth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Texas Rangers' Nathaniel Lowe jogs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Texas Rangers' Nathaniel Lowe follows through on an RBI single to score Wyatt Langford as Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh looks on during the eighth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Josh Smith reached on an error, Wyatt Langford doubled, and Adolis García drove in Smith on a groundout to shortstop to tie the game at 4-4.
Lowe then hit an infield single to second base to score Langford from third.
Rocker struck out seven while allowing one run on three hits over four innings in his first big league start. The only run he allowed came on a solo homer from Justin Turner in the fourth.
Rocker allowed back-to-back singles to lead off the first inning, but retired the next six batters. He walked two in the third, but kept Seattle off the board until Turner's shot.
“I feel like the whole game I was trying to find my rhythm, and that’s just, that’s part of the moment, that’s part of it being a new experience,” Rocker said. “And can’t really get frustrated from it, but learn from it."
Rocker threw 74 pitches and induced 17 swings and misses from Mariners hitters, thanks in part to his slider.
“Great job, great job,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “Poise, presence, he just looked good out there, didn’t he? I mean, first inning couldn’t have gotten off to a tougher start for him, but he kept his composure, he pitched out of a tough jam and just solid four innings there."
Josh Jung gave Texas the early lead with a solo homer in the second, but the Rangers couldn’t score again off Bryce Miller, who allowed one run on five hits over six innings, with seven strikeouts.
“We let Miller get into rhythm,” Lowe said. “Like any major league starter, you get in rhythm and you’re in control, it’s really tough to score. So I felt like we did a good job kind of slowing it down a little bit, getting some good pitches to hit, and then we touched the plate when we needed to.”
Randy Arozarena drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single in the fifth inning to give the Mariners a two-run lead. Cal Raleigh scored on a wild pitch later in the inning to make it 4-1.
Matt Festa (4-1) got the win with a scoreless seventh.
Kirby Yates pitched the ninth inning for his 30th save.
The loss drops the Mariners to 4 1/2 games behind Houston in the AL West standings, and 4 1/2 games back of Minnesota for the third AL wild card.
“Tough eighth inning,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “A couple of ground balls, just a well-placed chopper and a ball off the glove, and it's a tough way to take it."
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers SS Corey Seager will undergo season-ending sports hernia surgery, Rangers GM Chris Young announced on Thursday.
ROSTER MOVE
To make space for Rocker on the roster, RHP Chase Anderson was designated for assignment.
UP NEXT
Rangers RHP Jacob deGrom will make his first start since undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2023 on Friday. The Mariners have not announced their starter.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Kumar Rocker, center, greets his father and Tennessee Titans defensive line coach Tracy Rocker, left, and mother Lalitha Rocker, right, after his major league debut in a 5-4 win over the Seattle Mariners in a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Tayler Saucedo reacts to giving the Texas Rangers the lead on an RBI single by Texas Rangers' Nathaniel Lowe during the eighth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Mariners' Julio Rodríguez strikes out to end the game in a 5-4 loss to the Texas Rangers in a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim, left, greets relief pitcher Kirby Yates, right, after Yates earned the save in a 5-4 win over the Seattle Mariners in a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Kirby Yates throws against the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien, left, celebrates a 5-4 win over the Seattle Mariners with teammates, including Josh Smith, right, after a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez catches the double hit by Texas Rangers' Wyatt Langford after it bounces in front of him during the eighth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Texas Rangers' Adolis García hits into a groundout to score Josh Smith against the Seattle Mariners during the eighth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Texas Rangers' Nathaniel Lowe jogs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Texas Rangers' Nathaniel Lowe follows through on an RBI single to score Wyatt Langford as Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh looks on during the eighth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
PARIS (AP) — Alexander Zverev was imperious in dispatching Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-2, 6-2 to win the Paris Masters on Sunday.
The third-seeded Zverev was in total control of the final to earn his seventh Masters 1000 title, his first in the French capital. The win also moved him past top-ranked Jannik Sinner for the most wins on the ATP tour this year, at 66.
Zverev's big serve, excellent returns and great attacking shots did not take long to extinguish the hopes of the partisan crowd as Humbert never got into the match.
Humbert won't have fond memories of his first Masters final. He tried to play aggressively from the start and to take all the risks to shorten rallies. But he could not find his range while Zverev defended extremely well.
The German quickly solved his rival’s serve and had his first break chance in the third game. He took it when Humbert sent a forehand into the net.
Humbert continued to make unforced errors. Trailing 3-1, he saved two break points but dropped his serve again when another shanked forehand sealed the game.
Zverev dropped just one point on his serve in the opening set and sealed it at love with an ace.
The 15th-seeded Humbert walked back to the locker room after the first set. The interlude didn’t change anything.
The Frenchman double-faulted on his return to the court, continued to make poor tactical decisions and was immediately broken with a forehand into the net. Another break gave Zverev a 3-0 lead as Humbert wasted a 40-0 lead and was never able to stage a comeback.
Zverev became the second German player to win in Paris after Boris Becker. He will overtake Carlos Alcaraz to move into second place in the new ATP rankings and will be a top contender at the ATP Finals gathering the top eight players of the season from Nov. 10-17 in Turin, Italy.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Germany's Alexander Zverev reacts after winning the final of the Paris Masters tennis tournament against France's Ugo Humbert at the Accor Arena on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
France's Ugo Humbert walks onto the court before the final of the Paris Masters tennis tournament against Germany's Alexander Zverev at the Accor Arena on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Germany's Alexander Zverev walks onto the court before the final of the Paris Masters tennis tournament against France's Ugo Humbertat at the Accor Arena on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
France's Ugo Humbert returns to Germany's Alexander Zverev during the final of the Paris Masters tennis tournament at the Accor Arena on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Germany's Alexander Zverev returns to France's Ugo Humbert during the final of the Paris Masters tennis tournament at the Accor Arena on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Germany's Alexander Zverev returns to France's Ugo Humbert during the final of the Paris Masters tennis tournament at the Accor Arena on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
France's Ugo Humbert returns to Germany's Alexander Zverev during the final of the Paris Masters tennis tournament at the Accor Arena on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Germany's Alexander Zverev returns to France's Ugo Humbert during the final of the Paris Masters tennis tournament at the Accor Arena on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Germany's Alexander Zverev reacts after winning the final of the Paris Masters tennis tournament against France's Ugo Humbert at the Accor Arena on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Germany's Alexander Zverev returns to France's Ugo Humbert during the final of the Paris Masters tennis tournament at the Accor Arena on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)