SEATTLE (AP) — Logan Gilbert struck out nine and gave up two hits over eight innings and the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 5-0 on Sunday, June 16 to sweep the series.

Rookie Tyler Locklear hit a solo home run to help back Gilbert (4-4) and help Seattle improve to 12 games over .500. The Mariners have won seven of eight games and nine straight home series.

“It really feels like a playoff atmosphere in mid-June, which is kind of weird to say,” Gilbert said. “But the ballpark was packed all three games, the crowd’s going crazy. That’s a really good team. We’re playing really well right now.”

Mitch Haniger and Luke Raley hit back-to-back doubles off starter Dane Dunning (4-6) in the fourth to put the Mariners up 1-0. And Josh Rojas made it 2-0 after doubling with two outs in the fifth and scoring from second on Dunning’s wild pitch that skipped short of the plate and under catcher Andrew Knizner’s glove.

Rojas took third as the ball bounced off the backstop and skipped toward the Mariners’ dugout, then raced home and slipped under Dunning’s tag at home plate to make it 2-0.

Locklear’s seventh-inning shot to left was his second since joining the team as a replacement for regular first baseman Ty France.

Dunning pitched 4 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs and four hits. He struck out eight and walked three.

Seattle’s 8 1/2-game lead in the AL West is its largest since 2001.

“That was fantastic,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said of Gilbert’s performance. “He was in total control of the ballgame. He had great stuff, of course, but the execution of his slider and the split-finger was electric today. That’s a really tough pitch and there’s no way to game plan for it.”

Seattle starters Gilbert, George Kirby and Luis Castillo gave up seven runs and struck out 21 in the three-game series.

“All their starters, that’s the story of this series,” Texas manager Bruch Bochy said. “They’ve got a really good staff and you’ve got to find a way to score runs, and we had a tough time.”

UP NEXT:

Mariners: Right-hander Bryce Miller (5-5, 3.48) will start Tuesday at Cleveland. Miller has won three straight.