Mariners top Astros; Batter up for run-fueled 10-3 win
By Bel Garcia, edited by Charles Hamaker
Houston, TX - Our Seattle Mariners and the Houston Astros were back at Minute Maid Park for game two of their three game series. The Mariners displayed an offensive dominance early by piling up runs and hits, creating frustration for the Astros. In the victory, Seattle had a complete overall game with 17 total hits and were able to lock down another series win.
Some highlights of Seattle Mariners centerfielder Julio Rodriguez in the teams navy blue jerseys from this season (Photos by Mathew Bermudez)
Mariners centerfielder Julio Rodriguez wasted no time in making his presence felt on offense. Facing off against the Astros' pitcher Framber Valdez, Seattle third baseman Eugenio Suárez stepped up to the plate following a Julio single and then his 33rd stolen base. Suárez sent the ball into center field, allowing Rodríguez to score from second base to home plate. That quick set of hits put the Mariners ahead with a 1-0 lead, setting the tone for what was to come. In this sequence, Rodriguez became the first player in MLB history with 14 hits and five stolen bases across a four game span.
In the second inning, Mariners outfielder Cade Marlowe connected with a pitch in his first at bat, sending the ball deep into center field. Marlowe tripled with power, sending the ball to the wall, resulting in Astros outfielders not being able to track it down fast enough as it bounced around in center field. An RBI for Marlowe, as he enabled an easy Jose Caballero score, increasing the Mariners lead to 2-0.
The Mariners poured it on in the third inning, further pulling away. With two outs, and a base hit by Ty France, Seattle’s Teoscar Hernandez hit the ball to center field in what looked like the final out of the inning. Instead, Astros centerfielder Mauricio Dubon leans in for the ball, glove first, ball in glove, bends his wrist on the ground, and then loses it. All while Dubon takes a flip as well, outfielder Jake Meyers attempted to clean it up, boggled it, and France crossed home plate to increase the Mariners lead to 3-0. Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh stepped up to the plate with a hard single to left field, scoring Hernandez and pushing the Mariners' lead to 4-0.
Houston third baseman Alex Bregman, who struggled in game one of the series, closed the gap by scoring a run in the bottom of the third. He homered on a Logan Gilbert splitter that traveled just far enough for it to go over the left field wall and out of Marlowe’s reach. Houston continued to show offensive life in the bottom of the fourth inning, with a deep homer to left from Yainer Diaz, further cutting the Mariners’ lead to 4-2. A deep breath from Logan Gilbert and a double play from the defense slowed things down a bit, but the Astros continued to find success in their swings in which they forced a nine-pitch inning from Gilbert’s pitching alter-ego, Walter.
Mariners infielder/outfielder Dylan Moore slammed his sixth home run of the season in the top of the fifth, awarding him the trident for a two-run shot to right field. Things proceeded to get a bit heated with Houston’s Valdez and Seattle’s Caballero, after the latter was hit by a pitch. Valdez, already frustrated by the pitch and his performance, took offense to Caballero’s reaction; clearing the benches while Julio Rodriguez walked the Astros’ pitcher away from the madness.
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve recorded his 2,000th hit in the bottom of the fifth, adding to his career achievements. In hilarious manner, Mariners left fielder Cade Marlowe cut the celebration short, recovering on a missed catch and getting it to second base in time for the out.
The Mariners offense wasn’t done yet - Teoscar Hernandez’s third hit on the day was a two-run double, scoring Sam Haggerty and Rodriguez. The insurance runs gave the Mariners an 8-2 lead in the top of the eighth, with no signs of the offense slowing down. Dylan Moore tacked on another home run in the top of the ninth, a multi-homer night for him. Haggerty turned it into a double-digit night for the Mariners with his first home run of the season, a solo shot to left field. Houston’s Dubon responded with a homerun of his own afterwards to make the margin a little less, but still nowhere near enough to make this a game.
Marlowe had a great defensive night in left field, Seattle gave Logan Gilbert run support, and Julio continues to do Julio things with a four-hit night – making history with 17 hits in four games. The series will close out tomorrow, and the Mariners have a chance at the sweep after this 10-3 win.