Rangers rally to beat Mariners
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

ANOTHER WIN - Texas' Milton Bradley (21) is congratulated by teammate Gerald Laird after hitting a solo home run off Seattle Mariners pitcher Erik Bedard during the third inning of their game on Monday in Arlington. Texas won, 13-12, in extra innings. After a poor start to the 2008 season, Texas has won 10 of its last 13.

ARLINGTON (AP) - There were fireworks again when Texas and Seattle played - for a different reason this time.

Instead of flared tempers, they were the pyrotechnic displays sparked by Texas home runs, including a game-winning shot by Ramon Vazquez in the 10th inning as the Rangers rallied for a 13-12 victory Monday night.

"I wouldn't say it was the weirdest game I've been in, but when you score 12 runs, you expect to win," Vazquez said. "We kept battling back."

The Rangers have won 10 of their last 13, while Seattle has lost 11 of 13.

Texas (19-21) hosts Seattle again tonight at 7 p.m. and tomorrow at 1, then plays a weekend interleague series at Houston beginning Friday.

Vazquez's homer came on a 1-0 pitch with one out in the 10th off Brandon Morrow (0-1), who struck out the only other four batters he faced after Seattle tied it with four runs in the ninth off closer C.J. Wilson.

Josh Hamilton and Milton Bradley hit back-to-back towering homers to start the third against Erik Bedard, who had a five-run lead before even throwing a pitch. Those homers ignited a four-run inning that put Texas up 6-5 and chased Bedard.

"What a game!" Rangers manager Ron Washington said when entering his postgame session with reporters, then repeating that statement when he left. "I guess y'all didn't think we had a chance when we fell behind 5-0 to Bedard. We fooled y'all and Bedard."

Only four nights after Mariners first baseman Richie Sexson charged the mound and flung his helmet at Texas pitcher Kason Gabbard to ignite a bench-clearing brawl, the AL West rivals met again. Sexson was with his team, but not playing while serving the third game of his five-game suspension for his actions. He'll miss the entire Texas series.

Morrow struck out the side in order in the bottom of the ninth. Morrow then struck out German Duran to start the 10th before Vazquez, the No. 9 batter, ended the 4-hour, 9-minute game by pulling a drive down the right-field line for his second homer of the season.

Doug Mathis (1-0), the sixth Rangers pitcher, threw a perfect 10th in his major league debut. "It's the coolest thing I've ever been a part of," said the 24-year-old Mathis, who was called up Sunday after the Rangers put starter Kevin Millwood on the disabled list.

Seattle tied it with four runs in the ninth, with Kenji Johjima capping that outburst with his first homer of the season, a three-run shot with two outs off Wilson that made it 12-12. Raul Ibanez had an RBI double earlier in the inning.

It was only the second blown save for Wilson, the left-hander who has converted eight times.

The only time things got heated between players was in the Texas seventh when Vazquez struck out and exchanged words with pitcher Ryan Rowland- Smith, who pumped his fist after the third strike. Vazquez yelled at the pitcher while slowly walking back to the dugout and Rowland-Smith returned verbal jabs. But they weren't close to each other.

Padilla gave up four hits and five runs - only two earned after two Texas errors - in the first inning Monday.