Julio Rodríguez of the Seattle Mariners hits first home run against Texas

The Texas Rangers pitchers seem to be getting tired of watching Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez bat.

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Rodríguez continued his torment for Texas on Saturday when he hit a first-run home run on the first pitch of the game from starter Dane Dunning, hitting an 89-mile-per-hour sinker on the outside of the plate in the opposite direction for a 363-footer.

The Mariners scored another run on a single by Jorge Polanco and took a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

It was Rodríguez' 19th home run of the season and he is one away from his third consecutive season with at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases.

The two-time All-Star also hit two home runs in Friday's 8-2 win over the Rangers, and he has also hit a home run in four of his last five games against the division rival.

Rodríguez has been a thorn in Texas' side this season, entering Saturday's game with an impressive .364/.420/.796 batting average and a staggering 1.216 OPS in 11 games against the Rangers. Seven of his 19 home runs this season have come against the team, including four in five games at Globe Life Field.

It also continues a scorching September after a largely disappointing season for the third-year center fielder. Rodríguez entered Saturday's contest with a batting average of .321/.352/.556, five home runs and 13 RBIs in 18 September games.

The Mariners entered the day two games behind the Minnesota Twins for the last wildcard spot in the AL and five games behind the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West.

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• Passan is interested in the future of the Seattle Mariners' “enigmatic” Randy Arozarena

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