Jake Burger's homer, 3 RBI, lead Rangers past Mariners 5-4 to open series between AL West leaders

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jake Burger hit a two-run home run and a go-ahead single to lead the Texas Rangers past the Seattle Mariners 5-4 on Friday night in the opener of a four-game series between the top two teams in the AL West.

With the win, the Rangers improved to 52-51 and increased their divisional lead to 1 1/2 games ahead of the 51-53 Mariners.

Burger’s fourth-inning homer off Bryce Miller (4-5) tied the score at 3-3. In the sixth, Burger hit the first pitch from Eduard Bazardo up the middle to score Brandon Nimmo and put Texas ahead 4-3.

Nicky Lopez then bunted in front of the plate with runners on the corners. Bazardo fielded the ball bare handed and tossed underhand high off the glove of catcher Cal Raleigh allowing Evan Carter to score.

Peyton Gray (5-0) pitched a scoreless sixth inning and Jacob Latz allowed a run in the ninth but earned his 20th save in 22 opportunities.

Burger was hitting .150 in July before his home run barely cleared the right field wall. He has 18 homers and 64 RBIs to lead the club in both categories.

Wyatt Langford gave Texas a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a home run to left field one pitch after fouling a ball off his left foot and limping out of the batter’s box.

Weston Wilson’s two-out, opposite-field single to right tied the score 1-1 in the second.

Dominic Canzone’s opposite-field, two-run double to left center in the fifth tied the score 3-3.

Rangers starter MacKenzie Gore, pitching on five days’ rest, allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks in five innings.

Miller was charged with five runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Texas’ Joc Pederson had his 1,000th career hit.

Seattle’s Cole Young matched a career best with three hits.

Mariners RHP Bryan Woo (7-6, 4.16 ERA) will face Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi (9-8, 4.21) on Saturday.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

Texas Rangers' MacKenzie Gore (1) pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Mariners, Friday, July 24, 2026, Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)

Seattle Mariners' Bryce Miller pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, July 24, 2026, Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)

Seattle Mariners' Josh Naylor runs towards home during the second inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, July 24, 2026, Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)

Texas Rangers' Wyatt Langford rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, July 24, 2026, Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)

Texas Rangers' Jake Burger (21) is celebrates hitting a home run with Texas Rangers' Ezequiel Duran during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, July 24, 2026, Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)

NEW YORK (AP) — Mets slugger Juan Soto was removed from Friday night's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers because of left calf soreness.

Soto has been nursing the injury since returning from the All-Star break last week. He was New York's designated hitter in the opener of a 10-game homestand Friday, but got lifted for pinch-hitter Jorge Polanco leading off the bottom of the sixth inning with the score tied at 1.

Soto is expected to undergo imaging Saturday.

“He just had a reoccurrence of symptoms in the left calf. We certainly hoped we were behind it and done talking about this, but he felt it pushing off going to second base when he was on the bases,” Mets interim manager Andy Green said after his team's 4-2 loss.

"At this point, we’ll likely get an image tomorrow and try to see where he’s at. This has nagged him for a week now. So I know it’s frustrating for him, frustrating for us and everybody.”

Green was asked if he's concerned Soto could land on the injured list again. The five-time All-Star missed about 2 1/2 weeks in April with a right calf strain, and the last-place Mets (43-61) lost 12 consecutive games without him.

“I think any time you get an image, you’re concerned. Concerned enough to do it. We’ll wait until tomorrow and figure out what we’re dealing with,” Green said.

Soto began the night batting .283 with 21 homers, 52 RBIs and a .944 OPS.

Instead of playing left field, he's been the DH in his last two games as he tried to shake the calf problem. He sat out Wednesday's 4-3 loss at Milwaukee but was back in the lineup Friday after the Mets were off Thursday.

Soto walked in both plate appearances against Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki before coming out of the game.

The lone All-Star for the Mets this year, Soto also exited the team's first game after the break in the eighth inning July 16 at Philadelphia. New York was off the following day, and he returned to the lineup as the DH on Saturday and Sunday against the Phillies. He played left field Monday in Milwaukee and was the DH on Tuesday.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

New York Mets' Juan Soto hits an RBI single during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, July 19, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

New York Mets' Juan Soto reacts to striking out during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, July 18, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)