Mariners Eliminated From Race Despite 13-0 Rout Of Rangers

ARLINGTON, Texas — Marco Gonzales has himself in position for an upbeat finish to easily the best season of his career. Now the Seattle left-hander knows for sure his final start, if he gets another one, won’t have any impact on the postseason. Robinson Cano broke a scoreless tie with a three-run homer in the fifth inning while Gonzales allowed one hit in six innings, but the Mariners were eliminated from the AL wild-card race despite a 13-0 trouncing of the Texas Rangers on Saturday night. The longest playoff drought among the four major pro sports was extended to 17 years when Oakland finished off Seattle’s fading hopes with a 3-2 win against Minnesota, scoring the winning run in the bottom of the ninth about an hour after the Mariners’ victory. Seattle inherited the longest postseason absence last December when the Buffalo Bills ended a 17-year drought by making the NFL playoffs. Gonzales (13-9) faced one batter over the minimum while allowing his fewest hits in 42 career starts for his first win since July 29.