SEATTLE – The Rangers arrived in Seattle with the second-best bullpen in the American League.

Things only got better Friday.

With Eric Gagne finally on hand to pitch the ninth, the Rangers constructed the final innings of a 5-2 win over Seattle exactly as they have long planned to do. Gagne, who was activated from the disabled list before the game, pitched in and saved his first game since June 6 of last season.

"He got a chance to get in a big league game and do exactly what he does for a living," manager Ron Washington said. It worked out just the way I wanted it to."

The beginning of Gagne's Rangers career helped end a tidy night for the Rangers bullpen. They hope it's the first of many. Before Gagne entered the game, Kevin Millwood gave the Rangers a quality start of six innings. Then the planned setup duo of Joaquin Benoit and Akinori Otsuka pitched the seventh and eighth respectively.

At the end of the night, the Rangers' relief ERA was 2.27, second in the AL to only Toronto (2.25). The Los Angeles Angels bullpen, which had been the AL leader, fell behind the Rangers and Blue Jays after allowing seven runs in 21/3 innings.

Gagne entered the game with a three-run lead thanks to a two-out homer by Matt Kata. It gave him a little extra comfort. He allowed a single to pinch hitter Ben Broussard on a 2-and-2 pitch, then struck out Ichiro Suzuki. He got Adrian Beltre to bounce into a game-ending double play.

It was the moment the Rangers had been waiting for since they signed Gagne as their bullpen anchor this winter, basically sight unseen after back surgery. Gagne had not even so much as thrown off a mound before being signed.

Though he did pitch this spring, he got in only three "A" exhibitions and the Rangers decided on the final day in Arizona to place him on the disabled list to give him more time.

Gagne, who pitched six times while on the DL, said the extra work was well worth it.

"It's been about figuring out what I wanted to do and how I wanted to approach batters," Gagne said before Friday's game with Seattle. "These two weeks helped. They helped a lot. All spring, I worried about getting into shape, but I never really had that chance to think about getting people out. That's what I did for the last two weeks."

The Rangers left Gagne behind in the Arizona desert when they broke spring training. He pitched three times in simulated game situations, then joined Double-A Frisco for three more outings. It gave him 5 2/3 extra innings of work.

It was enough for the Rangers to immediately re-confirm him as the closer. Washington said Gagne would assume the ninth-inning role from Otsuka. The Rangers had briefly considered having Gagne pitch in one or two non-save situations before giving him the closer's role.

The caveat is that Gagne will not pitch more than an inning and he will not pitch more than two consecutive days. If the Rangers have three consecutive save attempts, Otsuka would get the third.

Gagne acknowledged that to have placed him on the roster at the start of the season would have been a little impetuous because of the limitations on how much he'd have been able to pitch.

"It would have been a strain on all the relievers," he said.

On Friday, two weeks later than originally planned, things worked perfectly after Millwood handed a 4-1 lead to the bullpen though six innings.

Benoit allowed a run in the seventh, but did not allow the game to get closer. After Beltre doubled home a run, Benoit received a quick visit from manager Ron Washington. For the second time this season, Washington's motive was to reassure Benoit. Benoit responded by striking out No. 3 hitter Jose Vidro on a nasty changeup and getting No. 4 hitter Raul Ibanez to bounce to second.

Also of significance: Both Vidro and Ibanez are left-handed hitters and Washington chose to stay with Benoit rather than bring in a lefty.

Otsuka allowed a two-out double to Kenji Johjima in the eighth, but got Yuniesky Betancourt to bounce out to end the inning.

"For the team, this is great," Otsuka said. "My role may change, but I'm going to do everything exactly the same as I did when I was closing. I'm excited to see what I can achieve in this role."

On Friday, everybody filled their roles just as expected.