RANGERS SPLIT DOUBLE HEADER WITH SEATTLE

The longest day of the season at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington saw a pair of rookie pitchers continue to head in different directions. It ended with the Rangers facing an even longer road to a postseason berth.

They split a doubleheader Sunday with Seattle, which doesn't sound like a completely lost day. But both teams they are chasing in the playoff races gained ground, and the Rangers' gap to the postseason is the largest it's been this month.

Tommy Hunter logged his first complete game to win the opener, 7-2. The Mariners handed Derek Holland his fourth straight loss, 5-0, in the nightcap.

"It's tough to win doubleheaders," manager Ron Washington said. "We came out and played well in the first game, and we didn't score any runs in the second game. We'll bounce back and get on a roll."

Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki became the first player in major league history to collect 200 hits in nine consecutive seasons. The record-breaker was an infield single in the second inning. It drew a standing ovation from the sparse crowd that endured the constant threat of rain.

Holland became a footnote to baseball history, perhaps the highlight of his six-inning outing. He allowed five runs on eight hits, an improvement over his previous three starts but a loss nonetheless in a game the Rangers needed to win.

Boston swept its doubleheader Sunday and now leads the American League wild-card standings by four games with 20 to play. The Rangers' margin is six games behind Los Angeles in the AL West.

But the Rangers aren't folding their tents, not with seven games remaining against the Angels. Boston has three more games with New York, and the Red Sox's next three are against the Angels.

"We just have to win games. That's the bottom line," second baseman Ian Kinsler said. "We don't have that many left. It was tough losing two out of three to these guys with all the delays. It was just a tough series all the way around. But we've got to get back with it."

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